Bodhisattva Guanyin
Unknown Artist
581–618
Medium
gilt bronze
Dimensions
h. 8.3 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mrs. John Lyon Collyer in memory of her mother, Mrs. G. M. G. Forman
Accession Number
1962.217
About this artwork
Portable Buddhist figures and objects like this gilt bronze had a variety of uses. They could have been carried in religious processions. Others could serve as donations, souvenirs, or votive items in the context of pilgrimages to religious sites. Their miniature size also made them appropriate for placement on private altars or shrines for personal devotion.