Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva 观世音菩萨
Material: Ceramic
Origin: China
Height: 17.5 cm
Code: MS-005
"Avalokita" is a sanskrit word that broadly means "looking on", while "Ishivara" means "Lord". Avalokitesvara can therefore be broadly translated to mean the "Lord who looks in every direction". Quite similar to this meaning is the Chinese name for Avalokitesvara, "Guan Yin" 观音 or "Guan Shi Yin" 观世音 literally means looking out and hearing the cries of samsaric beings. Truly, the hallmark of Avalokitesvara is great compassion or mahakaruna.
Contrary to convention that all bodhisattvas are represented in male forms, Avalokitesvara takes both masculine and feminine forms in different parts of the world and at different eras. In China, during the Song Dynasty, Guan Yin was depicted as a male form, but subsequently evolved into a female form that brings out the compassionate aspect of a bodhisattva. This gender-neutral representation probably marks his freedom to assume any form to respond to the differing needs of his followers.
This statue is a female form of Guan Yin, and is probably the most commonly seen form in China where Mahayana tradition dominates. Guan Yin is represented as a "Goddess of Mercy" who adorns a graceful white robe, holding a vase that sometimes contains a willow branch. She is seated on a lotus with her right knee half-bent depicting a posture that is ready to stand up (act) in an instant.