Guanyin
Figure
1620-1700 (made)
1620-1700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
'Blanc de Chine' is the European name for a kind of fine, white undecorated porcelain made at the Dehua kilns in Fujian province. Kilns in that region were famous for their vessels and especially their figurines, made from the 16th century onwards. The porcelains were made for a fairly local, domestic market but were also exported to Europe in some numbers from the 17th century.
Subjects Depicted
This particular figure shows the Buddhist divinity Guanyin, seated on a pedestal with a flowering lotus beneath and holding a lotus bud in her left hand. At her hand is a small boy. These attributes show the deity in her role as the 'sender of sons'.
Manufacture
The figures were mass-produced using moulds, though the fine detail was finished by hand. Heads and hands were generally modelled separately and attached to the figure before firing. When the modelling was complete, the figures were glazed and then fired in a single high-temperature firing. The work was carried out in family-run workshops. Dehua figurines are often signed by the potters who made them.
'Blanc de Chine' is the European name for a kind of fine, white undecorated porcelain made at the Dehua kilns in Fujian province. Kilns in that region were famous for their vessels and especially their figurines, made from the 16th century onwards. The porcelains were made for a fairly local, domestic market but were also exported to Europe in some numbers from the 17th century.
Subjects Depicted
This particular figure shows the Buddhist divinity Guanyin, seated on a pedestal with a flowering lotus beneath and holding a lotus bud in her left hand. At her hand is a small boy. These attributes show the deity in her role as the 'sender of sons'.
Manufacture
The figures were mass-produced using moulds, though the fine detail was finished by hand. Heads and hands were generally modelled separately and attached to the figure before firing. When the modelling was complete, the figures were glazed and then fired in a single high-temperature firing. The work was carried out in family-run workshops. Dehua figurines are often signed by the potters who made them.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Guanyin (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | White glazed porcelain; the goddess's attributes of an ambrosia bottle and bundle of books are missing |
| Brief description | Chinese porcelain figure |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Gallery label | British Galleries:
The export of Chinese porcelain figures to Britain was well established by 1700. This one shows the Buddhist divinity Kuanyin, though English purchasers were probably more interested in its decorative appeal than in its religious origins. Such figures were often recorded in English houses set on a mantelpiece.(27/03/2003) |
| Object history | Purchased from Worsfold & Hayward (Market Square, Dover), accessioned in 1896. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. Made in Fujian Province, China |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type 'Blanc de Chine' is the European name for a kind of fine, white undecorated porcelain made at the Dehua kilns in Fujian province. Kilns in that region were famous for their vessels and especially their figurines, made from the 16th century onwards. The porcelains were made for a fairly local, domestic market but were also exported to Europe in some numbers from the 17th century. Subjects Depicted This particular figure shows the Buddhist divinity Guanyin, seated on a pedestal with a flowering lotus beneath and holding a lotus bud in her left hand. At her hand is a small boy. These attributes show the deity in her role as the 'sender of sons'. Manufacture The figures were mass-produced using moulds, though the fine detail was finished by hand. Heads and hands were generally modelled separately and attached to the figure before firing. When the modelling was complete, the figures were glazed and then fired in a single high-temperature firing. The work was carried out in family-run workshops. Dehua figurines are often signed by the potters who made them. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 480-1896 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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