明天啟 檀木雕觀音菩薩像|Bodhisattva Guanyin

Unknown

datable to 1624 · Sandalwood with lacquer · Asian Art

Downcast eyes and clasped hands impart a serene quality to this intimately scaled Guanyin. A dated inscription on silk found in the sculpture’s interior reveals that it was commissioned in 1624 by a devotee named Wang Shichun and his wife, surnamed Li. Like many in premodern China, they turned to Guanyin for help; this sculpture allowed them to venerate the bodhisattva daily, in their home.

Artist

Unknown

Date

datable to 1624

Medium

Sandalwood with lacquer

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Fletcher Fund, 1936