A large carved and polychrome wood seated figure of Avalokiteshvara, Guanyin, Ming dynasty | 明 木雕加彩觀世音菩薩半跏像

R.H. Ellsworth Ltd, New York, 1st April 1988.

安思遠，紐約，1988年4月1日

Radiating compassion and a regal presence through the delicate naturalism of its carving and towering form, this magnificent wood sculpture of Avalokiteshvara is a truly majestic legacy of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Its stature, classic poise and serene naturalism embody its timelessness; its meditative expression exudes a benign calm and warmth that is instantly approachable and emotionally appealing. Coupled with the opulent ornamentation, sophisticated style of carving and preserved pigments, this sumptuous illustration of Avalokiteshvara conveys their worldliness and non-ethereal status, presenting an overwhelming visual effect that captures the undivided attention of devotees and temple visitors.

Avalokiteshvara became popular as the deity of mercy and compassion, answering prayers and protecting the faithful from catastrophe, here depicted seated in lalitasana on mossy rockery representing Potalaka, an island originally thought to be in the southern sea that is the deity's home. By the Ming dynasty, this fabled paradise had been associated with Mount Putuo, an island off the east coast province of Zhejiang, and had become a major pilgrimage site. In contrast to images of the Buddha, who had already attained enlightenment, bodhisattvas have vowed to remain in the world to ensure the ultimate salvation of all sentient beings.

The portrayal of bodhisattvas in the Ming dynasty largely continued from the sculptural traditions established in the preceding dynasties, with similar poise, expression of the face and overall countenance. For related wood bodhisattvas of the preceding dynasties, see one of the most famous wood bodhisattvas in the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, accession no. 34-10. It is the centrepiece of the Paul and Helen Bernat Galleries, where it is designated as Jin dynasty (1115-1234); another in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession no. A.7-1935. See also three important wood figures of Avalokiteshvara that appeared at auction in the last decade. The first, a larger figure of 175 cm sold at Christie's Paris, 19th December 2012, lot 177 and included in the exhibition Chinese Sculpture C.500-1500, Eskenazi, London, 2014, is now in the permanent collection of the Louvre Abu Dhabi (accession no. LAD 2018.001). Another smaller (66 cm) wood sculpture of Avalokiteshvara, attributed to the Liao dynasty, formerly in the collections of Martin Erdmann and F. Brodie Lodge, sold in our London rooms, 7th June 1988, lot 48 and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th May 2018, lot 2858. It is now in the collection of the Tsz Shan Museum, Hong Kong, accession no. 2018.08 (fig. 5). A third example (137 cm) from the collection of John Richard Young was sold in these rooms, 18th April 2021, lot 8002.

本尊木雕觀音像神韻生動，造型碩大，栩栩如真，實為明代遺珍。雕塑風格自然擬真，氣質靜謐沉穩，經典雋永。觀音面容慈悲，雙目微垂，安謐祥和，表現菩薩觀照內在澄明，不受外像所礙。靜思神情仿似入定，沉靜莊嚴，然靈動如生，宛若下一秒即起身下座，拔度信眾。本尊觀音宏偉莊觀，頭戴天冠，瓔珞滿綴，衣褶豐麗，礦彩猶存，可設想昔時是何等金碧輝煌、莊嚴殊勝。

觀世音菩薩，意指觀聽世間眾音，尋聲救苦，慈悲為懷，為眾佛之中最受擁戴之一。觀音坐於崢嶸岩石座之上，其岩座象徵普陀珞珈山，乃南海上一座小島，傳說為觀音之應化道場。至明代一朝，位於浙江定海縣東洋的普陀山，成為菩薩聖山之地標，世以觀音所居，吸引眾多信徒住山朝聖。

明代觀音像延續前朝佛教造像傳統，風格相近，觀音坐姿、面容、身軀線條亦類同。西方重要美術館藏數尊前朝類例可資參考，其一為夙負盛名之金代觀音像，藏於納爾遜阿特金斯藝術博物館，館藏編號34-10，現展出於 Paul and Helen Bernat 展廳當眼位置。其二為藏於倫敦維多利亞與艾伯特博物館，館藏編號A.7-1935。近年拍賣會亦見數類例，其一售於巴黎佳士得2012年12月19日，編號177，高175公分，曾展出於《Chinese Sculpture C. 500-1500》，埃斯卡納齊，倫敦，2014年，現為阿布達比羅浮宮藏品，館藏編號 LAD2018.001。另一像，尺寸較小（66公分）木雕觀世音菩薩，斷為遼代，出自 Martin Erdmann 與 F. Brodie Lodge 舊藏，初售於倫敦蘇富比1988年6月7日，編號48，後易手於香港佳士得2018年5月30日，編號2858，現藏香港慈山寺，館藏編號2018.08。其三為宋代觀音像，高137公分，為美國富商慈善家 John Richard Young（1932-2015年）楊氏舊藏，售於香港蘇富比2021年4月18日，編號8002。