Vintage Chinese Hardwood Guanyin Head – 20th Century

A carved Guanyin head from China

This hand-carved head represents Guanyin, the Chinese form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. A tall diadem with a central flower rosette and curling side scrolls crowns the head. Long, ridged locks of hair frame the face and fall down the back; the eyes are lowered and the mouth is soft.

The head was made as a finished bust, not broken off a larger temple figure: the neck ends in a straight, finished block, and the back is fully carved with the same pattern of hair. The grooves in the hair are regular and still crisp in their depths. There is no old polychromy or lacquer. The solid hardwood has a warm golden-brown tone and open grain; the species has not been determined. Carving and surface place the head in the 20th century, more likely mid-century than late Qing.

Condition

A vertical drying crack runs across the forehead and continues towards the eye, and there are smaller cracks in the crown and hair. Nose, cheeks and lips show wear, and one side of the hair has dark streaks. The surface has been oiled or waxed. The neck has been sawn flat and set on a modern pin. The face is otherwise intact. The modern black metal stand with its round dark base is not original to the piece.

Object details

• Origin: China
• Subject: head of Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara), carved as a bust
• Date: 20th century
• Material: solid hardwood
• Height × width: 63 × 20 cm (including modern stand)
• Weight: 7.9 kg
• SKU: 839

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