Possibly Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin) with attendants

Object Details

• Description

  A Maitreya triad.

  Surface: gilded; grayish incrustation and spots of green patina.

  Decoration: details of ornamentation engraved. Inscription.

• Inscriptions

  Translation: "In the 5th year of T'ien Pao Buddhist Liu Li Yu had this image of Kuan-yin made in memory of his deceased parents and brothers."

  The inscription reads: "Ta Ch'i T'ien-pao wu-nien nien-san-jihh Liu Chi-yu wai ch'i shih hsien wang fu wai wang fu mu hsiung tsao Kuan-shih-yin hsiang i-ch'u yuan wang fu mu t'uo-sheng hsien fang ti-tzu so-yuan ju-shih"[Chn].

  The inscription reads: "Ta Ch'i T'ien-pao wu-nien nien-san-jihh Liu Chi-yu wai ch'i shih hsien wang fu wai wang fu mu hsiung tsao Kuan-shih-yin hsiang i-ch'u yuan wang fu mu t'uo-sheng hsien fang ti-tzu so-yuan ju-shih"[Chn].

• Provenance

  To 1911

  Sung, Beijing, to 1911 [1]

  From 1911 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Sung in 1911 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Bronze List, S.I. 277, 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

  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)

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

• Previous custodian or owner

  Sung (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Sculpture

• 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, Sung

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Gilding, Bronze, Period of Division (220 - 589), Cats, Art, Mandorla, Chinese Art, Incense, Northern Qi dynasty (550 - 577), Avalokite?svara (Buddhist deity), Abhaya mudra, Lotus, Bodhisattva, Metal-work, Guanyin, Charles Lang Freer collection, Animals, Inscriptions, Sculpture, Maitreya Buddha, Attendant

• Culture

  Buddhists, Chinese

• Object Type

  Sculpture