A large carved wood figure of Guanyin 12th / 13th century

the imposing deity rising fom the hips carved from a large hollowed-out tree trunk, dressed in a flowing robe tied with a knotted sash around the chest, and a red sash draped over the shoulders, wearing a pectoral on the chest, the serene face with downcast eyes and full lips, framed by a coral-coloured jasper bead set in the urna and long pendulous ear lobes, the hair swept back in a chignon secured by a lacquered gold diadem, with traces of red, blue, black and green pigment, the wood weathered around the base and back of the figure

Sotheby's New York, 6th December 1989, lot 72.

The wood along the bottom, back side and top of the head has has a bout with termites and therefore is a lot more weathered. The condition is now stable. The backside has a rectangular hole for slotting to a mandorla and a second cavity below the shoulders that is covered with a piece of wood (seemingly contemporary with the Guanyin). The hands are missing. The arms are doweled to the body. The jewel may be later added. There are expected loose pieces and old splits.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This exceptional and magnificent figure represents the Bodhisattva Guanyin, Goddess of Compassion and Mercy.  The carver has skillfully captured the warmth of Guanyin, who is usually depicted as a beautiful female figure with a gentle smile, adorned with worldly accessories such as a bejewelled headdress or tiara and richly ornamented necklaces to emphasise her non-ethereal status, in sharp contrast to the plain, austere images of the Buddha. As it was believed that anyone who recited Guanyin's name during times of distress would be heard and rescued by her, she is the most worshipped deity in Buddhism and has therefore been frequently depicted in sculptural form.

The deeply carved drapery and the heavy ornamentation, coupled with the preserved pigments, hint at the original sumptuousness and overwhelming visual effect that awaited temple visitors. They would have encountered this image in an elaborate stage set with painted murals covering the walls, along with many other sculptures of deities and arhats, all brightly coloured and gilded.

The finest sculptures of this period were carved of wood, covered with gesso, painted with bright pigments, inset with jewels, and gilded to create elegantly animated, richly adorned figures. Demand for large images such as the present piece led to the development of construction methods involving multiple blocks of wood, assembled after carving with bamboo or wood pins. Many temples from the Buddhist temples of the 11^th to 13^th centuries survive intact, testimony to the glorious integration of architecture, painting, and sculpture that characterises Buddhist temple art; see a figure of the Bodhisattva Manjusri riding a lion in a similar pose and dress, from the Upper Guangsheng Temple in Zhaochjeng country, Shanxi, datable to c.1150, illustrated in Alexander Soper, The Art and Architecture of China, London, 1968, pl. 77.

Compare closely related seated figures of Guanyin of slightly smaller size; such as an example in the Avery Brundage collection, illustrated in Rene-Yvon d'Argence (ed.), Chinese, Korean and Japanese Sculpture in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1974, pl. 145; and another, formerly in the Arthur M. Sackler collection, New York, sold at Christie's New York, 1^st December 1994, lot 169. Carvings of Guanyin of this type in various seated and standing positions and clothed in drapery that reveals the chest are known; see a seated figure in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, published in Alan Priest, Chinese Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1944, pl. CXI; another example in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, illustrated in Hai-wai yi-zhen. Chinese Art in Overseas Collections. Buddhist Sculpture II, Taipei, 1990, pl. 144, together with a standing example, sold in our New York rooms, 6^th November 1981, lot 50, and now also in the Cleveland Museum of Art, pl. 146; and a seated figure in the Cincinnati Art Museum, included in Ellen B. Avril, Chinese Art in the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, 1997, pl. 23.