Kuan Yin
ca. 1770, after model of ca. 1750–55
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Höchst
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jack and Belle Linsky Collection, 1982
Accession Number
1982.60.243
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the serene figure of *Kuan Yin*, the compassionate Bodhisattva from Buddhist tradition, crafted in hard-paste porcelain by renowned Höchst Manufactory Germany around 1770. Standing just 5½ inches tall, this delicate sculpture follows an earlier model from circa 1750–55, capturing the goddess in a graceful pose that reflects Europe's 18th-century fascination with spirituality and aesthetics. Höchst, one of Germany's premier porcelain centers rivaling Meissen, excelled in producing intricate, vividly colored figurines during the Rococo era. Hard-paste porcelain—the prized "white gold" fo...