Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed Guanyin

At the middle of a teeming universe of divine beings sits the most elaborate form of Guanyin, whose eleven heads and thousand hands—each with an eye in the palm—signify the universal nature of the deity’s compassion. This painting was made for use in a multiday ritual centered on Guanyin. Like many Chinese Buddhist rituals, this one called on the power of non-Buddhist figures as well, such as the Thunder God and the Mother of Lightning, who are among Guanyin’s retinue. The dated artist’s signature (along the lower right edge) and the painted border, which imitates a fancy brocaded silk mount, are rare if not unique among surviving paintings of this type.