This large figure stands barefoot on a lotus base. The deity Guanyin is a bodhisattva, one who has attained enlightenment but has chosen to remain in this world to serve those in need. Guanyin's most important and most appealing trait was responsiveness to believers. In the guise of the Chinese folk deity, Guanyin is commonly called upon for such earthly blessings as children, good luck, and wealth. A combination of religious and secular beliefs characterizes the Chinese version of this Buddhist deity and is evident, for example, in the way this Guanyin is sculpted with an aristocratic Chinese woman's hairstyle. By the date of this figure, most if not all Chinese representations of Guanyin were female. The bright polychrome paint that originally covered the figure would have enlivened it.
