China, 19th century. The elegant figure of the Guanyin is standing on a base of swirling clouds from which a dragon head is emerging. The reverse with an impressed four-character seal mark Boji Yuren “virtue extends to all, even fishermen”. Above seal mark is a double-gourd mark reading He Chaozong.
Condition: Superb condition with hardly any wear and only tiny firing irregularities. Extremely rare given the fragile nature of this statue! Provenance: From a Hungarian private collection.
Weight: 993.4 g Dimensions: Height 34.1 cm
Guanyin is shown with a serene expression, her hair elaborately coiffed with a topknot secured by a ruyi-shaped hairpin flanked by two flowers, covered almost entirely by a cowl, holding a lotus flower in her left, dressed in long robes embellished with beaded tassels, a lotus necklace across her chest. The mark of Boji Yuren is found according to P.J. Donnelly almost exclusively on figures. The present figure is rare for its modeling with the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin, holding the lotus, whereas she is more often modeled holding a ruyi scepter or a scroll. The combination of the words Guan and Yin translates as ‘She who always sees and pays attention to listening’.
Auction result comparison: Compare with another Dehua figure of Guanyin of similar size and bearing the same mark at Bonham’s London in Fine Chinese Art on 17 May 2012, lot 1, sold for GBP £17,500.