CHINESE PORCELAIN DEHUA BLANC-DE-CHINE FIGURE OF GUANYIN ON WOOD BASE, the goddess modeled as a standing woman with elaborate headdress, her head partially turned, her right hand raised, and her left holding a scroll, her robe gathered with a belt, perched barefoot on a mound of tubular cloud inset with beaded "pearl"-form embellishments. Unmarked. Sold together with a hardwood base. Probably Republic period, first half 20th century. 10 1/4" H, the figure. 12 1/8" H with base.
Provenance: Property of a New York private collector.
Catalogue Note: The blanc-de-Chine figures of the Dehua kilns have great variations of form and molding to the bases. Popular examples include lotus leaves and low mounds of incised rocks, sea and clouds. The figure of Guanyin is known as Avalokitesvara outside of China; Guanyin represents another successful adaptation of Buddhism from India into the Chinese sculptural vocabulary. While this Guanyin is from the 20th Century, the form adheres to the models known since the Ming Dynasty.

Three fingers of the right hand absent; the left hand reattached at wrist and with part of the bracelet absent; minute flake to hair ornament ; two pearls absent; the tiny nicks to the robe and very light browning to parts of the cloud are original to manufacture.