9132

Country Group:

Item id: 9132

Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin): The small, seated Amitabha Buddha cast prominently into the central plaque of the tiered diadem confirms the figure's identity as Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
Attributes & Posture: The figure holds both hands raised symmetrically at chest height with palms forward or cupped to hold ritual offerings/attributes (such as jewel buds or lotus stems, now absent), standing in an alert, forward-facing stance rather than a passive monastic pose.
Why the Dali Kingdom / Southwestern Frontier Connection Fits
While orthodox imperial workshops of the Central Plains (Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties) adhered strictly to canonized proportions and smooth drapery, the Dali Kingdom (大理國, 937–1253) and the broader southwestern frontier (Yunnan, Guizhou, southern Sichuan) developed a completely distinct sculptural idiom:
Direct Lost-Wax Detailing: The piece displays heavy, tactile modeling typical of Southwestern tribal and regional foundries. The jewelry ropes, necklace pendants, drapery hems, and multi-tiered crests were built by rolling and applying wax threads and beads directly onto the core model before casting, leaving an expressive, raw vitality.
Tribal/Regional Facial Modeling: The wide, flattened oval face, large protuberant "bubble" eyes with heavy lids, broad flat nose bridge, and wide, earthy smile directly mirror the indigenous Bai and tribal aesthetics of Yunnan rather than the refined, aristocratic Han Chinese ideals of the Northern/Southern Song capitals.. Very animated-almost feels like he could begin walking.  I have never seen one like this before.  H: 11.25" (28.575cm). Further research is warranted.