A figure of Guanyin holding a child

early Ming dynasty, 15th century
China

carbon 14 test result no. rcd-6262 confirms the date

height: 25.5 cm

Guanyin, also known as the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, has appeared to earthly devotees in a number of manifestations. These include, amongst others, Dabei – the one thousand armed and one thousand eyed tantric vision; Shuiyue – the water moon Guanyin that gazes at a reflection of the moon; and Nanhai – Guanyin of the southern seas, who sits in serene contemplation on Mount Potalaka.

Songzi (the child giver) is depicted here, leaning to the left – following the curve of the solid ivory elephant tusk; in this form, she is not so much a manifestation of Guanyin, but rather a quality of the Bodhisattva as ascribed in the lotus sutra. She is dressed in a Chinese-style short collared jacket, and a shawl that falls voluminously over both arms; her long skirt is tied high around the waist by a silk cord. An infant is propped up on her right hip, embraced in both arms, and Guanyin’s exposed left hand also clasps a large leaf. Her hair is loosely combed back, and delineated by engraved lines painted black; the hair is pinned up under a simple cloth – the top of which is made from a separate piece of ivory that covers the hole where the tusk nerve would have travelled.

Ivory carving flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties because of a widespread supply of the material and strong patronage – both from China and abroad. The need for religious figures in the Spanish colonies of the Philippines and other European bases, led to the stimulation of this market centred in the Chinese city of Zhangzhou in Fujian province.

similar example
‘Chinese Ivories from the Shang to the Qing’, Oriental Ceramic Society and British Museum, 1984 – figure 31.