Nanhai Guanyin (Guanyin of the Southern Seas)

Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, is perhaps the most beloved of Buddhist deities in China. The name Guanyin literally means “hear all calls for help everywhere,” thus reflecting her role as Goddess of Mercy. Guanyin is the Chinese interpretation of the Indian bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, who was originally masculine in Indian depictions, but under Chinese influences and interpretations of Buddhism evolved into a feminine deity. Guanyin is shown here as the “Guanyin of the Southern Seas,” a manifestation in which she meditates in the pose of royal ease, maharajalila, on a rocky crag that represents Mount Putuo, the scriptural Potalaka, located in the South Seas. The Chinese associated the bodhisattvas’s home with an island off the coast of Zhejiang, Mount Putuo, which continues to be a popular destination for Buddhist pilgrims seeking safety and protection, as well as fertility.Sculptures such as this were mainly commissioned for use in temples, and would have originally been displayed within an elaborate program of paintings and sculptures. Faithful pilgrims would come to the temple to worship and seek assistance from deities. As the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin was believed to have the power to relieve suffering as well as to grant children.