Carved Wooden Figurine of a Seated Woman

Sculpture

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L.T. Jordan Institute for International Awareness

Carved wooden figurine of a seated woman from Bali.: Image of the carved wooden figurine of a seated woman. It depicts the Chinese goddess of mercy, Guanyin, in her traditional "royal-ease" pose.
Carved wooden figurine of a seated woman from Bali.

Image of the carved wooden figurine of a seated woman. It depicts the Chinese goddess of mercy, Guanyin, in her traditional "royal-ease" pose.

Name/Title

Carved Wooden Figurine of a Seated Woman

Entry/Object ID

JI2025000364

Description

Carved wooden figurine of seated woman. The carved figure is of the Chinese goddess of mercy, Guanyin (also spelled Quan Ying and Kwan Yin in Burmese). Guanyin is the physical embodiment of compassion and is often depicted holding a lotus blossom flower and gilded with a long robe. The goddess began in Indian Hinduism as the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara as a male deity. She was gradually brought into Chinese culture over a millennium and was considered the most popular female deity in China from 1358-1911. This figurine depicts Guanyin in a version of what is known as the “royal-ease” pose. This pose is meant to display a feeling of grace, dignity, and confidence when looking at the figure, however the pose of this figurine is more relaxed than that of the traditional pose.

Context

The Jordans travelled to Bali many times, and this was likely picked up during one of their trips.

Ethnography

Cultural Region

Country

Bali

Continent

Asia