Guanyin
Figure of Guanyin
1620-1700 (made)
1620-1700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Guanyin, the Goddess of Compassion, is one of the most popular Buddhist deities in China. Her figure originated in India as the male bodhisattva Avalokitesvara; after the introduction of Buddhism in China, he was transformed into a female deity associated with the virtues of compassion and mercy. Guanyin was also worshipped in China as the patron of fishermen, and by women as the goddess 'bringer of sons'.
This porcelain figure of Guanyin was made at the kilns of Dehua in Fujian province, south-east China. Dehua was the second largest producer of ceramics, including export ware, after Jingdezhen. The goddess is here represented as the 'bringer of sons' with a baby on her lap and two children as her disciples standing at the sides of the throne, but also as a protector of fishermen with two water dragons and waves at her feet. This kind of figures were usually placed on household altars and worshipped as devotional images in China. By the late 17th century they were also exported to Europe, where the body and colour of the Dehua ware, also known as 'blanc de Chine', were much admired.
This porcelain figure of Guanyin was made at the kilns of Dehua in Fujian province, south-east China. Dehua was the second largest producer of ceramics, including export ware, after Jingdezhen. The goddess is here represented as the 'bringer of sons' with a baby on her lap and two children as her disciples standing at the sides of the throne, but also as a protector of fishermen with two water dragons and waves at her feet. This kind of figures were usually placed on household altars and worshipped as devotional images in China. By the late 17th century they were also exported to Europe, where the body and colour of the Dehua ware, also known as 'blanc de Chine', were much admired.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Guanyin (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain with clear glaze |
| Brief description | Dehua ware. Figure of Guanyin, white porcelain, China, Qing dynasty, late 17th-early 18th century |
| Physical description | Porcelain figure of Guanyin, seated on a rocky throne above waves and with small figures of two acolytes standing at either side. She supports a child holding a lotus stalk on her right knee, and is dressed in voluminous robes with a cowl. On a rocky shelf to her left is a bundle of scrolls; the attribute to her right is missing, and restored as an identical bundle. The figure is hollow, and rather translucent. The porcelain is of a cream white tint. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Dame Ada MacNaghten |
| Production | Register |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Guanyin, the Goddess of Compassion, is one of the most popular Buddhist deities in China. Her figure originated in India as the male bodhisattva Avalokitesvara; after the introduction of Buddhism in China, he was transformed into a female deity associated with the virtues of compassion and mercy. Guanyin was also worshipped in China as the patron of fishermen, and by women as the goddess 'bringer of sons'. This porcelain figure of Guanyin was made at the kilns of Dehua in Fujian province, south-east China. Dehua was the second largest producer of ceramics, including export ware, after Jingdezhen. The goddess is here represented as the 'bringer of sons' with a baby on her lap and two children as her disciples standing at the sides of the throne, but also as a protector of fishermen with two water dragons and waves at her feet. This kind of figures were usually placed on household altars and worshipped as devotional images in China. By the late 17th century they were also exported to Europe, where the body and colour of the Dehua ware, also known as 'blanc de Chine', were much admired. |
| Bibliographic reference | Kerr, Rose and Luisa E. Mengoni Chinese Export Ceramics London: V&A Publishing, 2011.
p.126, pl.180 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.20-1970 |
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| Record created | January 8, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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