The Bodhisattva Guanyin

A bodhisattva is a Buddhist deity who has attained the highest level of enlightenment but delays entering paradise in order to aid other earthly beings. This small, gold-covered bronze sculpture depicts the bodhisattva Guanyin, a beloved figure among many Chinese Buddhists known for his compassion toward the suffering. Here, Guanyin is presented in the lalitasana (“royal ease”) position, cast as an earthly prince to emphasize his ties to the human realm. The small bronze was likely part of an altar shrine where it was probably one of two bodhisattvas flanking a larger central image of the Buddha. A small, exquisitely cast gilt bronze altar would have been an important focal point of private devotion in this domestic setting.