Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin)

Standing Bodhisattva Lotus holder Guanyin in relief against a flaming “mandorla;” inscription of 32 characters incised on four-legged base.
Bronze gilded and much worn.

Historical period(s)
Northern Wei dynasty, Period of Division, 453
Medium
Bronze with gilding
Dimensions
H x W x D: 23 x 11.9 x 6.8 cm (9 1/16 x 4 11/16 x 2 11/16 in)
Geography
China, Hebei province, Quyang
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1909.266
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Metalwork, Sculpture
Type

Figure

Keywords
bodhisattva, Buddhism, China, Guanyin, mandorla, Northern Wei dynasty (386 - 534), Period of Division (220 - 589)
Provenance

To 1909
Meh Tuh Kee, Shanghai, to 1909 [1]

From 1909 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Meh Tuh Kee, Shanghai, in 1909 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Bronze List, S.I. 98, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Meh Tuh Kee (C.L. Freer source)
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Description

Standing Bodhisattva Lotus holder Guanyin in relief against a flaming "mandorla;" inscription of 32 characters incised on four-legged base.
Bronze gilded and much worn.

Inscription(s)

(H.C. Lovell, 1974) The inscription reads: "Ta Wei Hsing-an erh-nien sui tsai kuei-ssu Chu-lu hsia Ch'u-yang ch'ing-hsin-nu Chao Lu-yuan wai mang tsu-fu mu ching tsao Kuan-Shih yin hsian" [Chn]
It can be rendered: "In the second year of Hsing-an of the Great Wei Dynasty [A.D. 453], cycle "kuei-ssu," Buddhist Chao Lu-yuan (woman) of Ch'u-yang, in the proximity of Chu-lu, respectfully had this image of Kuan-yin made for her deceased grandparents."
(See Curatorial Remark number 6)

The inscription reads: [Chn]
"Dai Wei Xingan ernian sui zai guisi Julu xia Quyang qingxin nu Zhao Luyuan wei wang zufumu jing zao Guanshiyin xiang" which can be translated: "Great Wei Dynasty, Xingan era second year (453 A.D.), year cycle guisi, the female believer Zhao Luyuan of Quyang, near Julu (present day Hebei), for the sake of her deceased grandparents respectfully had this image of Guanshiyin made."
(See Curatorial Remark number 8)

方座的右侧刻有铭文题记曰： transcription by Chang Qing

大魏太和…/年/岁/在/癸巳…鹿
方座背部续刻铭文题记曰：
下曲阳…/女赵…/为亡/祖父/母敬/造观世音/…

Published References
  • Marylin M. Rhie. The Earliest Chinese Bronze Bodhisattva Sculptures. vol. 25, no. 2 Hong Kong, March - April 1995. pp. 86-97, figs. 18-19.
  • , Li Song, Wu Hung, Yang Hong. Chinese Sculpture. The Culture & Civilization of China New Haven. p. 252, fig. 3.56.
  • Hugo Munsterberg. Buddhist Bronzes of the Six Dynasties Period. vol. 9, no. 4 Washington and Zurich. p. 290, pl. 5.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Terms of Use