Guanyin the Bringer of Sons
The most precious treasure in premodern China was a son to carry on the family legacy. Reflecting this fervently held wish, a new form of Guanyin emerged that presented the bodhisattva as a bestower of sons. This intimate sculpture, in which Guanyin cradles the hoped-for baby boy, would have been made for personal veneration by a wealthy devotee who wished to become a mother. Note that the precocious child holds a book—a sign that he will become a great scholar and thereby advance the family’s standing.
Artwork Details
- 清初 檀木雕送子觀音像
- Title: Guanyin the Bringer of Sons
- Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
- Date: 17th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Sandalwood with traces of pigment and gilding
- Dimensions: H. 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm); W. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm); D. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1951
- Object Number: 51.15
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Tibet or Mongolia
17th century
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17th century
China
17th–18th century
China
17th century
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