Acuoye Guanyin. 1100s-1200s. Funds from Charles E. Stanton, Boettcher Foundation, Mr. & Mrs. King D. Shwayder, & additional donations from Times Mirror, Mr. and Mrs. Verl E. Vette, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Levin, Japanese Firms Association, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Morris, John Odom, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne T. Biddle, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews D. Black, Major Anna Lee Briggs, Mr. and Mrs. William Hosokawa, Mr. and Mrs. Johnston R. Livingston, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Locklin, Ronald Y. Otsuka, Mr. and Mrs. Harold E. Worth, and gifts to the Pan-Asian Collection Fund.. 1983.13.

height: 18 1/4 in, 46.355 cm; width: 4 1/4 in, 10.795 cm; depth: 2 1/2 in, 6.35 cm; mount height: 2 1/16 in, 5.2388 cm; mount width: 5 in, 12.7 cm; mount depth: 5 in, 12.7 cm

Arts of Asia

Arts of Asia

This object is currently on view

Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin)
1100s–1200s, Dali Kingdom (937–1253)
China
Gilt bronze
Purchase 
1983.13

This elegant manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion who is known in China as Guanyin, is a fine example produced in the Dali Kingdom in today’s Yunnan Province. The lower body is covered with a rectangular piece of cloth tied below the waist, a style similar to Southeast Asian sculptures. The naked upper body is also similar to Southeast Asian styles. Located on the trading route between China and Southeast Asia, the Dali Kingdom remained independent for more than three centuries. Devoted to Buddhism, the kingdom developed a unique Buddhist iconography representing a combination of Chinese,Southeast Asian, and indigenous styles.