五代 雷延美 木刻大慈大悲救苦觀世音菩薩圖|The Greatly Merciful, Greatly Compassionate Rescuer from Suffering, Bodhisattva Guanyin
dated 947
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 18 3/4 x 12 3/4 in. (47.6 x 32.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
China · Five Dynasties period (907–960)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Paul Pelliot through the Morgan Library, 1924
Accession Number
CP5
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite woodblock print, created by Lei Yanmei in 947 China's turbulent Five Dynasties period (–960), depicts the Bodhisattva Guanyinknown as the "Greatly Merciful,ly Compassionate Resc from Suffering." Measuring 18¾ × 12¾ inches, it showcases intricate ink and color on paper, a pioneering technique for its time. As one of the earliest dated polychrome woodblock prints, marks a pivotal moment in Chinese printmaking history, bridging religious devotion with technological innovation amid political fragmentation following the Tang dynasty. Guanyin's serene image, surrounded by symbolic el...