Caption
Photography credit: Paula Rosenblum
Preview
Exhibition Opening Date
9-1-2021
Description
Porcelain Statue of Bodhisattva Guanyin Holding a Lotus Bloom
20th century,China
Porcelain
Gift of Frank A. Gallagher III ’32
Like the Virgin Mary in Christianity, the bodhisattva Guanyin is known for her infinite mercy, grace, and purity. Standing on the top of a flat lotus leaf, the bodhisattva holds a spray of lotus flowers. Guanyin, like elite Chinese women, wears her hair in a very high chignon. The loose, long garment opens at the chest to expose her robe underneath, and she wears a necklace of pearls around her neck. The sculpture is constructed of a material known as Dehua porcelain, or Blanc de Chine. This porcelain originated during the Ming Dynasty and was produced in southeast China; it was a popular material for European audiences and is still used today.
Keywords
College of the Holy Cross, student curator, Cantor Resource Gallery, Asian export art