A MASSIVE CHINESE LACQUERED AND GILT-WOOD FUJIAN-STYLE FIGURE OF GUANYIN

MING DYNASTY

The bodhisattva sits in dhyanasana with her hands held on her lap in dhyana mudra, she wears elegant long robes bordered in relief with scrolling floral motifs, her serene face framed by her elongated earlobes, with a large elaborate crown centred by a seated Amitabha Buddha adorning her head, decorated all over in gilt, black and red lacquer, all raised on a tall flaring pedestal, the figure 1.1m, 1.2m overall. (2)

Provenance: from an English private collection, purchased from Susan Chen in 1999.

Cf. Christie's Hong Kong, 31st October 2000, lot 989 for a similar smaller 15th century figure; see also Christie's London, 4th November 2008, lot 50 for a comparable large lacquered wood figure of Simhanada Avalokiteshvara; see also Christie's Los Angeles, 20th May 1998, lot 132 for a related large painted wood sculpture of Guanyin dated to the Song dynasty.