The Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin Pusa) is
the Buddhist deity of compassion and mercy. The
Bodhisattva is here seated in a position of royal
ease on a simulated outcropping of craggy,
perforated rock, seeming to provide the
impression that the Bodhisattva might at any
moment awake from a state of deep
contemplation and step down from the carved
lotus rest. The Bodhisattva's worldly ornaments –
such as the high tiara and rich necklaces in
sumptuous detail – contrast with the plainer
image of the Buddha, whose minimal markings
indicate ethereal status.
The confession of the Great Vehicle, Mahayana
(Dasheng) spread from Kashmir, Gandhara,
Sogdia and Inner Asia into China, and further to
Korea and Japan. It teaches that salvation is
possible to all sentient beings because they
possess the Buddha nature in them and hence all
can potentially be enlightened. Enlightenment is
simply achieved by faith and devotion to Buddha
and the religious ideal, represented by the
Bodhisattva Pratyekabuddha (Pizhifo) or Arhat
(Aluohan/Luohan), among others. These beings,
though qualified to enter nirvana, delay their
final entry in order to bring every sentient being
across the sea of misery to the calm shores of
enlightenment. Buddha appears in different
shapes, according to the belief that Buddha
appears in every age in a special appearance.
Notable examples include the Amitabha
(Amitayus, "Buddha of Endless Light"), Vairocana
("Universal Illuminator") and Lokesvaraja (the
Buddha of the Past). After suffering some
disregard under the S’ong Dynasty, Buddhism
remained very widespread but highly mixed with
Taoist belief.
The late part of the M’ing Dynasty saw an
increased emphasis upon Confucianism,
combined with strong martial elements oriented
towards defence – the Great Wall dates mainly
from this period. When the ultra-conservative
Manchus (from Manchuria, north east of China)
took over in 1644 and founded the Q’ing
dynasty, they set in motion a series of changes
that utterly altered the face of China, including
insistence upon the Emperor as a divine being,
and a strongly separatist attitude towards the
outside world. Paradoxically, the arts flowered
during this period, although it has been
suggested that the stylistic conventions
engendered during this period remained
essentially unchanged until the end of the
imperial dynastic system with the hapless Pu-Yi
(deposed in 1912). This figure, which dates to
near the transition of the dynasties (15th to 17th
centuries AD) therefore pertains to a highly
dynamic and socially restive time, peculiarly at
odds with the serene appearance of the figure’s
face.
This figure is exquisitely carved, with softly and
delicately executed drapery hanging gracefully
from the right shoulder down to the rock upon
which the figure is sitting. Attention to detail is
intense: the drapery takes the form of a series of
naturally-folded bolts of cloth, overlying a basic
waist-high tunic, and narrower bands of cloth
crossing the chest. She also wears an ornate
necklace and a high-crowned headpiece under
which rolls of her hair have been gathered and
draped down the back. The body is leaning back
against the left arm, while the right leg is hitched
up almost casually, the right arm resting upon
the upstanding knee. Condition is good, with
traces of the original polychrome paintwork and
a beautiful patina commensurate with the
piece’s
age. This is a superb example of the wood
carver’s art, and a wonderful addition to any
interior space or collection.
