A
sumptuous South Sea Quan Yin in dark fruitwood, well conceived with billowing
drapery and crisply rendered details combining to create an image of magnificent
equipoise and serene contemplation in the midst of swirling energy. The Goddess
of Compassion is holding the magical herb Lingi, appearing on Mount Portalaka
above a dragon, and the vase in her left hand is pouring out a steady stream of
immortality nectar. The artistry in this statue is a beautiful depiction of this
potent and beloved bodhisattva. The elements of this statue move together with
amazing grace.
The
bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was a male in India. He was worshipped in the realm
of Amitabha Buddha. The Lotus Sutra lists his thirty-three transformations from
male to female; which illustrates the infinity of means of salvation in his great
compassion to rescue faithfuls from perils. Around the time of Sui dynasty in
the 6th century, Avalokiteshvara began to transformed into a female deity, and
identified in Chinese as Quan Yin (Kannon in Japanese). There are numerous forms
of Quan Yin throughout China and Asia. Generally appear as a youthful feminine
mother figure cloaked in white robe, her other popular manifestations including
a thousand eyes and thousand armed Tantric form known as Da-bei, the Great Compassion
Quan Yin. The seated bodhisattva in royal ease on Mount Portalaka is known as
Nanhai (South Seas) Quan Yin, an original Chinese design established since the
Tang Dynasty (618-906 A.D.).