China, late Ming or Qing dynasty, 17th–18th century; sandalwood with traces of pigment and gilding, single-woodblock construction; 5 3/8 x 2 3/4 x 2 1/2 in.; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1951, 51.15, photo: www.metmuseum.org.
11. Songzi Guanyin, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara as the Bestower of Children
Buddhist Deity Guanyin (Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara)
China, Ming dynasty, 16th century; ivory; H. 10 1/2 in.; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1913, 12.219.1, photo: www.metmuseum.org.
This ivory depiction of Songzi Guanyin touchingly conveys the intimate relationship of the bodhisattva to the child she is carrying. Utilizing the natural curvature of an ivory tusk, the sculpture’s composition emphasizes the figure’s tender care of infant. The child-giving bodhisattva gazes down, as if to bestow the blessing of offspring on an eager parent.