9x2.5x1.5 In.

This porcelain figure depicts Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion, standing serenely on a lotus pedestal, her hair tied in a high bun. Revered across East Asia, Guanyin embodies mercy and protection. In China she came to be worshipped as a female figure, often likened to a maternal guardian who hears the prayers of all who call upon her.

Figures of Guanyin like this were commonly placed on family altars and in temple shrines, serving as sources of comfort, blessing, and devotion.

Made at Dehua in Fujian province, the birthplace of China’s famous white porcelain known in Europe as blanc de Chine, the figure is rendered in the pure, ivory-toned body for which these kilns were celebrated. The whiteness of Dehua porcelain was prized not only for its refinement but also for its spiritual associations with purity and transcendence.

The red seal on the base suggests manufacture in the late Qing to early Republic period, when Dehua workshops continued to supply both domestic worshippers and international collectors.

Non-exportable

Provenance: The Estate of Mangaldas Nathubhai