Dragon Girl (Longnü)
Dragon Girl, the daughter of the Dragon King, was believed to have achieved enlightenment at the age of eight, becoming an acolyte of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Here, she is portrayed as a serene young girl wearing elaborate courtly robes and holding a tray bearing a precious pearl, a symbol of Buddhist enlightenment. She stands on a lotus pedestal that bears an inscription identical to the one on the young male Sudhana. Originally, they formed a pair of attendants flanking a now-lost image of Guanyin. Together, they demonstrate the superb craftsmanship maintained by the imperial workshops at the end of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
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