China
Yuan Dynasty, 1271 to 1368
Dense gray limestone
Height 11 1/4 in (28.6 cm)
Provenance: Acquired from Hartman Galleries, Fairmont Hotel Dallas, by Paul van Katwijk
Guanyin, the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, was among the most widely venerated deities in Chinese Buddhist art, depicted in female form with increasing frequency from the Tang dynasty onward and elevated to the status of Goddess of Mercy by the Yuan period. This head follows the Yuan convention of portraying Guanyin with feminized features, downcast eyes, and a tall chignon secured by a foliate Buddhist tiara, reflecting the mature iconographic form of the deity as it developed across the 13th and 14th centuries. The circular urna centered on the forehead identifies the figure as a bodhisattva, following Indian Buddhist visual conventions that persisted across Chinese sculptural traditions.
The head is carved from dense gray limestone with careful attention to facial modeling, including fleshy lips, rounded cheeks, and arching brows that give the face a composed and inward expression. The hair is drawn up in fine curled strands to the tall chignon, with the tiara providing a strong decorative terminus to the composition. Its provenance from Hartman Galleries at the Fairmont Hotel Dallas and subsequent acquisition by Paul van Katwijk connects the piece to the established American luxury market for Chinese Buddhist sculpture.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
China
Yuan Dynasty, 1271 to 1368
Dense gray limestone
Height 11 1/4 in (28.6 cm)
Provenance: Acquired from Hartman Galleries, Fairmont Hotel Dallas, by Paul van Katwijk
Guanyin, the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, was among the most widely venerated deities in Chinese Buddhist art, depicted in female form with increasing frequency from the Tang dynasty onward and elevated to the status of Goddess of Mercy by the Yuan period. This head follows the Yuan convention of portraying Guanyin with feminized features, downcast eyes, and a tall chignon secured by a foliate Buddhist tiara, reflecting the mature iconographic form of the deity as it developed across the 13th and 14th centuries. The circular urna centered on the forehead identifies the figure as a bodhisattva, following Indian Buddhist visual conventions that persisted across Chinese sculptural traditions.
The head is carved from dense gray limestone with careful attention to facial modeling, including fleshy lips, rounded cheeks, and arching brows that give the face a composed and inward expression. The hair is drawn up in fine curled strands to the tall chignon, with the tiara providing a strong decorative terminus to the composition. Its provenance from Hartman Galleries at the Fairmont Hotel Dallas and subsequent acquisition by Paul van Katwijk connects the piece to the established American luxury market for Chinese Buddhist sculpture.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
