Rare and important carved wooden statue of Guanyin
Lot 112 China Song dynasty (960-1279)
Rare and important carved wooden statue of Guanyin.
Dim. 41.34 x 30.31 x 23.62 in. Traces of gilding and polychromy.
PROVENANCE
- Acquired in the 1930s by Madame Juliette Lecomte, daughter of the collector Auguste Pellerin, and passed down through the family.
- A Carbon-14 analysis certificate [No.1024-0A1764B CIRAM] dated November 12, 2024, confirming the dating is available upon request
Estimate : €100,000 - 120,000
Quite a few large-scale wood figures of the Bodhisattva Guanyin in Water-Moon form dating between the 10th and 13tth centu - ries are known and have survived mostly in Western museum collections, private collections from the early 20th century, and some temples in China, as documented by researcher Petra Rösch in her book Chinese Wood Sculptures of the 11th to 13th Centuries: Images of Water-Moon Guanyin in Northern Chinese Temples and Western Collections, Stuttgart, 2007, pp. 266–268, 318–320, and 363–384.
The piece we present here is one of these exceptional relics, preserved and passed down for nearly a century within the same family, as evidenced by an old photograph of the family mansion showing the statue in place.
Former view of Juliette Lecomte's town house in Neuilly-sur-Seine
This significant wooden statue depicts the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, known in China as Guanshiyin (观世音) or Guanyin (观音). In Buddhist doctrine, bodhisattvas are beings of pure compassion who have attained Enlightenment but have voluntarily renounced nirvana to continue guiding humanity on the path to the cessation of suffering and release from the cycle of reincarnation. Avalokiteshvara/Guanyin (“The Lord who look down” / “Perceiving sound, cries'”) occupies a central place in the Buddhist pantheon and enjoys great popularity in Asia. His names reference his boundless compassion, which drives him to hear the cries of suffering beings and alleviate their pain.
The bodhisattva here is represented seated in the rajalalitasana (“Royal Ease”) posture on a rocky base, with his left leg resting on the ground, bent, and his left arm leaning on the rock, while his right arm delicately rests on his bent right knee, creating a relaxed and harmonious posture. He wears a fine dhoti with supple folds tied below the abdomen, covering his legs. The monastic scarf is elegantly draped over his upper body, wrapping around his right wrist and falling in an elegant cascade of folds down his back, finally resting and covering his left shoulder. His torso is partially bare, crossed by a section of the scarf, revealing a large necklace adorned with floral and vine motifs. Both arms are adorned with armbands and bracelets. The entire piece is enhanced with substantial traces of gilding and polychromy. The hair, detailed in fine strands, is styled in a high, stylized topknot held by a ribbon, with two strands positioned as a band over the ears. The face is framed by two long twisted locks fal - ling over the shoulders. A circular recess at the top of the head indicates the likely presence of an additional crown that would have completed the bodhisattva’s rich adornment.
The elongated face, with full features, is animated by a marked eyebrow ridge extending into a straight nose, with half-closed, downcast eyes inset with black glass, enhancing the gaze's intensity. The small mouth has bud-like lips. This serene face exudes a profound spirituality intended to aid the viewer in reaching Enlightenment. The calm and meditative expression reflects his contemplative and compassionate nature. The first Buddhist text to mention Guanyin is the Flower Garland Sutra (Avatamsaka Sutra / 華嚴經 Huayan jing), but it is in chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra (Saddharmapundarikasutra /法華經 Fahua jing) that the bodhisattva’s doctrines are taught. It describes him as a compassionate bodhisattva who hears the cries of sentient beings and works tirelessly to aid those who call upon his name. These texts also describe various manifestations of the deity, all suited to the minds of different beings.
In China, the image of Avalokiteshvara, a male bodhisattva traditionally depicted as a young Indian prince, undergoes a profound transformation through interaction with Chinese culture, becoming over the centuries a female deity revered as the Goddess of Mercy. This gradual shift, beginning during the Song dynasty, has no sources in the Buddhist canon and is a unique Chinese creation. The image of this compassionate and merciful bodhisattva blended and overlapped with local legends, miracle stories, and pilgrimages, further popularized through the arts and literature. Thus, new, all-female iconogra - phies of Guanyin emerged, such as the “South Sea Guanyin” (南海 Nanhai Guanyin), “White-Robed Guanyin” (白衣觀音 Baiyi Guanyin), or “Fish-Basket Guanyin” (魚籃觀音 Yulan Guanyin), widely disseminated through art, literature, and tradition.
One of these manifestations, Shuiyue Guanyin (水月觀音 “WaterMoon Guanyin”), is precisely what we see in this statue.
The bodhisattva is shown seated in a variation of the “Royal Ease” posture, contemplating the reflection of the moon on water. The origin of this iconography is uncertain. It was likely popularized by the 10th-century dissemination of the Flower Garland Sutra, which includes a chapter where the young pilgrim Sudhana encounters the Compassionate One on Mount Potakala and receives his tea - chings. Chinese historical sources also mention an iconographic model derived from the creativity of a great master of Chinese painting—a work, now lost, by Tang painter Zhou Fang (circa 730–800), depicting Guanyin against a full moon, surrounded by bamboo. The theme of the moon and water, particularly the reflections of the moon on water, is a metaphor often used in Buddhism, symbolizing the illusory nature of phenomena and the transient, ephemeral nature of worldly things.
This type of large statuary is especially characteristic of the artistic production in northern China, particularly in Shanxi. This province houses two major Buddhist centers in Taiyuan and Mount Wutai, which have been active since the 6th century and host numerous large temples and Buddhist caves. During the Song dynasty, Buddhism remained one of the three major ideologies in China, popular across all social classes and supported by the state apparatus. In 1115, the arrival of the Jurchens, a nomadic people from the Central Asian steppes, brought new dynamism. By founding the Jin dynasty (金朝), they chose Buddhism as the state religion, leading to a revival and prosperity for the region's temples. The high demand for large statues led artists to abandon stone for wood, a less costly material that was more accessible and easier to work with.
Our piece shows numerous stylistic similarities to other statues found in important museum collections. For example, the elon - gated, full-featured face is very similar to that of a Guanyin dated to the late 10th to early 11th century in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (no. 33.116) (Figure 2). These distinctive features are also comparable to those of another statue (no. 2400) from the early 11th century in the Honolulu Museum of Art. (Figure3) Similarly, the adornments bear resemblance to the Metropolitan Museum’s Guanyin (no. 33.116), with a necklace adorned with small flowers and simple bracelets and armbands.
The simplicity and formal purity of the hairstyle and topknot are akin to a statue sold on December 16, 2017, by Leclere auction house, Paris, dated to the Song period. Another stylistic resem - blance with the previously mentioned statue can be found in the draping of the monastic stole, which wraps around the right wrist, covers the left shoulder, and falls in an elegant cascade of folds down the back.
The graceful body shape, contrasting with the full facial features, is comparable to that of a Guanyin from the Roger Vivier collec - tion, sold in the “Arts of Asia” auction on December 14, 2016, by Christie’s in Paris (lot 26), also identified as from the Song dynasty. Though these statues are all stylistically related, they each show variations in body form, facial treatment, posture, or clothing. These nuances contribute to the uniqueness and preciousness of each one. They remain fascinating early testimonies to the tradition of large Chinese wood statuary, continuing to captivate collectors, scholars, and curators alike.
ASIAN ART
Wednesday 04 December 2024 14:30
Aguttes Neuilly
Public preview of lot 112
Thursday November 21 to Friday November 29 (except weekends): 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 5pm
Public exhibition
Saturday, November 30: by appointment
Monday December 2 and Tuesday December 3: 10am - 5:30pm
For further information, please contact
Clémentine Guyot
+33 (0) 1 47 45 00 90
guyot@aguttes.com