Antique Gilt Nanhai Guanyin with Wisdom Buddhas in Crown (16247)

Description

Beginning in the Ming Dynasty, Nanhai Guanyin (Guanyin of the Southern Sea) became a cult figure among devotees of all social classes and Chinese spiritual traditions: Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Popular Religions. Local artisans produced carvings for home altars and temples reflecting tastes of a rising middle class. Statues like this opulent home altar piece were covered in gilt as both a display of personal devotion and the status of the newly wealthy middle-class donors. Like this piece, they were usually consecrated by monks in an eye-opening ceremony.

This statue is a magnificent example of creations by masterful provincial carvers who did not know or follow imperial artistic cannons and instead fashioned more approachable and humble Guanyin images with varying iconology and sometimes blended traditions. She sits on her traditional rocky outcrop in front of her cave on Putuo Island, a major pilgrimage site where she is believed to appear to devotees. Her hands are in her lap in meditation (dhyana mudra), legs in lotus position (padmasana) under her flowing 3-part robe with modest jewelry at her chest. Her high elaborate 5-lobed crown is the focal point of the statue.

The Five Dhyani or Wisdom Buddhas in her crown embody the uniqueness of this piece. Nanhai Guanyin is rarely depicted with Vajrayana Wisdom Buddhas which are integral to the Vajrayana/Tantric Buddhist sect. As a subset of Mahayana Buddhism, it has its own philosophical concepts, rituals and spiritual teachers. It arrived in China in the 8^th century when Emperors invited Tibetan masters to teach this unique form of Buddhism based on a blend of Indian Mahayana beliefs and ancient Hindu and Vedic mystical teachings.

In Vajrayana beliefs, the Dhyani Buddhas are not historical figures but are visualizations of abstract philosophies and qualities of enlightenment that aid tantric meditation and spiritual practice. Vairochana Buddha, the most important Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism, always in the center. Each Buddha represents a quality of awakened wisdom and embodies insights that transform negative human tendencies  – anger, pride, ignorance, attachment, and jealousy — into positive wisdoms.

This rare, gilt and lacquer Nanhai Guanyin radiates spiritual energy and an aura of serenity, peace and compassion in any environment in which she is placed. It is in excellent condition for its age with expected loss of gilt.