Important 18th Guanyin in Blanc de Chine

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Important 18th Guanyin in Blanc de Chine

About the Item

Guanyin 'Blanc de Chine' Porcelain Dehua (China), 18th century Qing dynasty Jin Feng mark Measures: 37.2 cm. (high overall) The group is modelled in three sections: The Guanyin is modelled seated in the vajrasana, with her principal arms in dhyanamudra and uttarabodhi. The remaining fourteen arms are outstretched and hold various emblems. She is modelled wearing loose robes and jewellery, with her eyes half-closed in meditation, beneath her high elaborate diadem. There is an impressed seal mark Jin Feng to the reverse. She is seated on a high lotus throne above swirling waves with a dragons chasing the flaming pearl. Iconography: Guanyin is an East Asian deity of mercy and compassion. Asociated with Avalokiteshvara, always on her lotus flower throne, she is one of the most important Bodhisattvas (who are the beings on the way to the enlightenment). The name “Guanyin” is an abridging from ‘Guanshiyin’, which means "Perceiving the Sounds (or Cries) of the World". In Chinese folk religion there are mythical tales about Guanyin's origins that are not associated with the Avalokitesvara described in Buddhist sutras. Guanyin and the thousand arms: One Chinese legend from the Complete Tale of Guanyin and the Southern Seas presents Guanyin as vowing to never rest until she had freed all sentient beings from sa sara or reincarnation. Despite strenuous effort, she discovered that there were still many unhappy beings yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, her head split into eleven pieces. The buddha Amitabha, upon seeing her effort, gave her eleven heads to help her hear the cries of those who are suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Guanyin attempted to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that her two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitabha came to her aid and appointed her a thousand arms to let her reach out to those in need. Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which Avalokitesvara skillfully upholds the dharma, each one is possessing its own particular implement. So, it’s possible that the artist of our figure were influenced by this “less arms” Himalayan versions. In China, it is said that fishermen used to pray to her to ensure safe voyages. The titles Guanyin of the Southern Ocean and "Guanyin of the Island" stem from this tradition. Actually is not a coincidence that the base of our figure, under the lotus flower, shows the Dragon of the Ocean, inside the sea waves, with its flaming pearl. Bibliography Pregadio, Fabrizio (2008), The encyclopedia of Taoism, Volume 1, Princeton, NJ: Psychology Press, ISBN 0-7007-1200-3 Suzanne E Cahill: Transcendence & Divine Passion. The Queen Mother of the West in Medieval China, Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1993, ISBN 0-8047-2584-5 Martin Palmer, Jay Ramsay, Man-Ho Kwok: Kuan Yin. Myths and Prophecies of the Chinese Goddess of Compassion, Thorsons, San Francisco 1995, ISBN 1-85538-417-5 William Stoddart: Outline of Buddhism, The Foundation for Traditional Studies, Oakton, Virginia, 1996. Kuan Ming: Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism, Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc, 1985 Chun-fang Yu, Kuan-yin, The Chinese Transformation of Avalokitesvara, Columbia University Press, New York, 2001, ISBN 0-231-12029-X John Blofeld: Bodhisattva of Compassion. The Mystical Tradition of Kuan Yin, Shambhala, Boston 1988, ISBN 0-87773-126-8 Miao Yun: Teachings in Chinese Buddhism: Selected Translation of Miao Yun, Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc, 1995 Leidy, Denise Patry & Strahan, Donna (2010). Wisdom embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 97815883939.

Creator:
Jin Feng (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 14.57 in (37 cm)Diameter: 9.06 in (23 cm)
Style:
Qing (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Porcelain
Place of Origin:
China
Period:
18th Century
Date of Manufacture:
18th Century
Condition:
It's in good condition according to its age.
Seller Location:
Madrid, ES
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU181436790821