A susancai figure of Guanyin, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Height 10 in., 25.5 cm. Photo Sotheby's

Provenance: Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York.

Note:By far one of the most popular deities in China, Guanyin is commonly assumed to have originated from the Indian Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. The word 'Guanshiyin’ translates roughly to ‘one who observes the sounds of the world’ which relates closely to the meaning of Avalokitesvara. The deity is associated with compassion and mercy; traits viewed by the Chinese as more feminine than masculine. This provided the impetus for the deity’s gradual representational evolution from male to female which was a slow and ambiguous transition. Tang dynasty figures show a feminine sensuality but the deity is still primarily male. It was not until the deity had been appropriated and merged with local and regional feminine deities; protectors and ‘givers’ of children, protectors of fisherman, that Guanyin turns definitively female. The present figure, with a feminine graceful stance, elaborate coiffure and elegant attire still reveals a bare flat chest that recalls the deity’s earlier form.

Sotheby's. Embracing Classic Chinese Culture: Kangxi Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection, New York, 14 march  2014