17th C. Chinese Ming Gilt Bronze Guanyin, ex-Komor

East Asia, China, Ming Dynasty, ca. 17th century CE. A wonderful bronze statue rich with iconography of a Bodhisattva known as Avalokiteshwara (also Guanyin, Guan Yin, Kuanyin in Chinese), the goddess of kindness, compassion, and mercy, boasting a lustrous gilded visage. Seated in lotus position on an integral plinth, the tranquil deity is heavily adorned with a plumed crown and several lengthy strands of Japamala (prayer beads) that cascades down her chest, wraps around her waist, and lays in her lap. Many eye-shaped pendants are featured across the strands, possibly referencing her title as "The One with a Thousand Arms and Thousand eyes." Her right hand rests in her lap in the Abhayamudra, or gesture of fearlessness, as her left hand is raised in the Varadamudra, which is the "generosity gesture." A translucent robe flows down her body, displaying a decorative hem at her shoulders, opening at her chest, and then falling into a puddle of fabric below her, as a slender ribbon winds around her arms. Size: 6.875" W x 11.5" H (17.5 cm x 29.2 cm)

Flanked by sizable ears, her serene visage displays downcast eyes beneath a sweeping brow, a naturalistic nose, and bowed lips held in a gentle smile. Sinuous branches seemingly rise from her arms displaying two objects of her iconography: a parrot, symbolic of a faithful disciple, on her left and a vase, one of the eight symbols of good fortune, on her right. A lovely abstract relief decorates the periphery of her corseted pedestal.

Bodhisattvas are among the most compassionate beings in the universe, devoting themselves to saving the suffering and helping others achieve enlightenment and Buddhahood. Traditionally depicted as less austere than Buddhas with graceful postures and elegant garments, a nod to the riches of the Northwestern Chinese Silk Road, this piece is no exception. Guanyin is associated with compassion and mercy - her long ears significant, because they rescue all human beings by hearing their cries for help and the sounds of suffering.

Provenance: private Englewood, Colorado, USA collection; ex-M. Komor Gallery, New York, New York USA, acquired in 1965

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#163621
Condition Report: Missing proper right middle finger. Minor repairs to ears. Nicks to periphery of base. Expected surface wear with a few small nicks and abrasions, as well as light softening of detail, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with impressive remaining gilding and nice patina. Rich encrustations on interior and light earthen deposits in recessed areas.