A deeply modeled monumental bust, once set atop a figure of considerable size, this Quan Yin, goddess of mercy, is accomplished in the grand poetic style of the Tang Dynasty and bears the Tang influence in its elegant conception and the rhythmic simplicity of its design. The massive head of Quan Yin, surviving time with stillness and contained power, looks down upon the viewer with immeasurable compassion, her face somber and celestial at the same time. The scale and darkness of the work gives a sense of profound gravity and deep meditational equipoise. Remains of gilding appear as ethereal sparks emanating from an immovable force.