Statuette: Avalokiteshvara (Kuan yin)

Object Details

• Description

  Standing Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) on a four-legged base.

  Surface: gilded, black and reddish brown patina on worn areas.

  Decoration: details in low relief and engraved. Inscription.

• Inscriptions

  (H.C. Lovell, 1974) The inscription reads: "Shen-kuei san-nien san-yueh i-jih fo-ti-tzu Han Chi Pen-hsien wai mang fu chien hsiao nei ch'in tsao Kuan-shih-yin hsiang i-ch'u." [Chn]

  It can be rendered: On the first day of the third month in the third year of Shen-kuei (April 6th, 520 A.D.), Buddhist Han Chi, Pen-hsien, had this image of Kuan-yin made for his deceased father out of filial piety for close relatives.

  The inscription reads: [Chn]

  The inscription reads: [Chn]

• Provenance

  To 1909

  Ta Ge Chung, Beijing, to 1909 [1]

  From 1909 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Ta Ge Chung 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. 96, 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.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Promise of Paradise (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Promise of Paradise: Early Chinese Buddhist Sculpture (December 1, 2012 to January 3, 2016)

  Buddhist Art (May 9, 1993 to August 9, 2011)

  Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Buddhist Art (July 19, 1958 to April 26, 1960)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Art, West Corridor, 1947 (January 8, 1947 to February 10, 1947)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Painting and Sculpture (November 15, 1944 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1943 (March 22, 1943 to November 17, 1944)

  Stone Sculpture, Buddhist Bronze, and Chinese Painting (May 2, 1923 to February 25, 1956)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Ta Ge Chung (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Sculpture

• On View

  Freer Gallery 17: Promise of Paradise

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  500s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Ge Chung, Ta

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Gilding, Bronze, Period of Division (220 - 589), Art, Mandorla, Chinese Art, Kundika, Avalokite?svara (Buddhist deity), Bodhisattva, Northern Wei dynasty (386 - 534), Metal-work, Guanyin, Charles Lang Freer collection, Sculpture

• Culture

  Buddhists, Chinese

• Object Type

  Sculpture

• On View

  Yes