Guanyin figure; China, late Ming - early Qing dynasty, 17th-18th century

Guanyin figure; China, late Ming - early Qing dynasty, 17th-18th century.
Carved and painted wood.
Measurements: 39 x 17 x 13 cm.
Carved and painted wooden sculpture depicting Guanyin sitting in her grotto on the island of Putuo, listening to the lamentations of the world. He is shown holding a small jar containing the nectar of life, and a dove symbolising fertility. The figure of Guanyin was often used as a parallel to that of the Virgin by the missionaries since, as we see here, it was accompanied by similar attributes. In fact, the figure of the Virgin was preferentially used in the introduction of Christianity in Asia, since the image of the suffering Christ was rejected.
Also known as the bodhisattva of compassion, Guanyin is venerated by East Asian Buddhists. As a result of syncretism, it is commonly accepted that she is the female counterpart of Avalokitesvara, the Hindu bodhisattva of compassion. The first Buddhist monk to refer to Guanyin as female was Kumarajiva, translating the Lotus Sutra into Chinese in 406 AD. With the introduction of Vajrayana Buddhism in China during the Tang dynasty in the 8th century, the depiction of Avalokitesvara as a beautiful female figure dressed in white grew in popularity. In popular devotion, Guanyin rescues those who turn to her in times of trouble, especially in the face of danger from water, fire or weapons. As a Merciful Mother, she also responds to the requests of those who wish to have children, which is why she is often depicted accompanied by a child. Guanyin's iconography is rich and varied, and includes various symbolic elements alluding to different concepts. One of them is the flowering lotus branch, a Buddhist symbol of purity because it emerges untainted from the mud. Other symbols are the willow branch, with which the bodhisattva sprinkles the nectar of divine life, and the vessel or small bottle, which is the nectar of compassion and wisdom.