China, Jin dynasty (1115–1234)
Polychromed wood with gilt, 65 in. (165.1 cm) high
Gift of Winston F. C. Guest, B.A. 1927
1956.39.1
Guanyin, Sound Observer, or Guanshiyin, the One Who Observes the Sounds of the World, is the Chinese name for Avalokitesvara, the compassionate bodhisattva who has been worshiped throughout the Buddhist world. Of all the Buddhist deities imported to China, only Guanyin was thoroughly transformed, becoming by the sixteenth century the so-called Goddess of Mercy. This image of Guanyin, dated by inscription to 1168, shows that transformation in process. The deity is seated in a position of ease on a rocky pedestal meant to represent Mount Potalaka, Guanyin's island home. Dressed as a prince in a dhoti with a long scarf and heavy jewelry, Guanyin is already feminine in appearance. Guanyin's identifying attribute is the small image of the Buddha Amitabha seen in his crown.
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