Medieval · Rijksmuseum · 200106518
Guanyin
anonymous, Shanxi, c. 1100 - c. 1200
Rijksmuseum · Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam · AK-MAK-84 · Public Domain · Bruikleen van de Koninklijke Vereniging van Vrienden der Aziatische Kunst (aankoop weduwe Otto H. Kahn, 1939) · Public domain
- Artist
- anonymous, Shanxi
- Date
- c. 1100 - c. 1200
- Medium
- gilding; dye; willow; paulownia
- Dimensions
- width 111 cm × height 117 cm × depth 74 cm
- Era
- Medieval
Why it matters
Here the Buddhist deity Guanyin, saviour of people in peril, is represented meditating on a rock. According to legend, he was once found in this position, meditating on the reflection of the moon in water, a symbol of illusion and transience in Buddhism. His pose and face embody inner peace and concentration.