清初 檀木雕送子觀音像|Guanyin the Bringer of Sons

Unknown

17th century · Sandalwood with traces of pigment and gilding · Asian Art

The most precious treasure in premodern China was a son to carry on the family legacy. Reflecting this fervently held wish, a new form of Guanyin emerged that presented the bodhisattva as a bestower of sons. This intimate sculpture, in which Guanyin cradles the hoped-for baby boy, would have been made for personal veneration by a wealthy devotee who wished to become a mother. Note that the precocious child holds a book—a sign that he will become a great scholar and thereby advance the family’s standing.

Artist

Unknown

Date

17th century

Medium

Sandalwood with traces of pigment and gilding

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1951