Nanhai Guanyin Atop a Fish, China (16376)

Description

Nanhai Guanyin of the South Sea was one of the most popular Mahayana Pure Land manifestations of this Bodhisattva in the late Ming and Early Qing Dynasties. Nanhai Guanyin and other Buddhist statues at this time where syncretic, blended in form and tradition and appearing everywhere in Buddhist, Taoist and Popular Religion Guanyin Temples, village, community, and clan shrines and especially in home altars. The open cavity in the back indicates she was consecrated by a monk and likely placed on a home altar. She traditionally sits on a symbolic rocky outcrop at the entrance to her cave on  Putuo;. In this charming and rare 18^th century provincial carving, she sits in meditation and feet lotus position (padmasana ) with bare soles turned up. Her sweet, smiling, joyous face is framed by the pendulous ears of an enlightened being and topped with a round crown with flowing ribbons.  The lotus represents purity and the stem symbolizes Buddhist teachings which give rise to purity of mind. As a protector of the sea, she is sometimes portrayed seated on or above a fish – symbolically show here and above an emerging fish head and tail. Chapter 25 of Lotus Sutra, the Universal Door of Guanyin Bodhisattva states:

If someone is being tossed about in the great sea,
And is surrounded by the dangers of dragons, fish, and ghosts,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The waves will not drown him.

The fish below feet also symbolizes her power to help people safely sail through the bitter sea of suffering which divides the mortal world and the Western Paradise to which pious devotees of Pure Land Mahayana Buddhism are brought upon their death. Covered on all sides with red, the color of fu, or the Five Blessings or Happinesses (longevity wealth health, a love of virtue and a peaceful death in old age and gilt which is an expression of and wish for prosperity, she is in excellent condition and mounted on a frosted Acrylic base to bring compassion blend with any décor and attract good energy to the space it occupies.

Click here for the Blog Consecrating Wooden Images to Imbue Them with A Life Force.