Currently not on view
Fish-basket Guanyin,
1592 (stone); late 19th to first half of 20th century (rubbing)
Unidentified artist, act. Wanli reign period 1573-1615)act. Wanli reign period 1573
Chinese
Ming dynasty, 1368–1644
y1958-170
Information
Title
Fish-basket Guanyin
Dates
1592 (stone); late 19th to first half of 20th century (rubbing)
Maker
Unidentified artist , act. Wanli reign period 1573-1615)act. Wanli reign period 1573
Medium
Hanging scroll; red and black ink rubbing on paper
Dimensions
image: 142 x 57 cm. (55 7/8 x 22 7/16 in.)
142 x 57 cm. (55 7/8 x 22 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of George Rowley
Object Number
y1958-170
Place Made
Asia, China
Inscription
[]大士像偈
世傳大士大慈大悲持，厄解厄[]，
矣詳矣。余蒞[劒]之初年[弱]息痘厄
危甚，曾許鐫大士像以廣其傳。然
而來得像也一日造
雨軒公府上得。今
聖太皇后[所][親]為見，其筆瑞神
妙繪飾莊嚴。余竊喜曰[是]可[得]矣
因而鐫石偈以志之。
百千萬億身功德普群生
慈聖丹青巧圖[]法相真我禱護靈
應珍兹鐫劒陽願傳尊奉者作[筆]
降之祥。
萬曆壬辰[1592]季秋吉旦滇臨謙居任[]
頓首謹鐫
Signature:
Possibly signed by someone with the family name Ren 任 from Qianju 謙居, Dianlin 滇臨 (in Yunnan province?). “On the auspicious first day of the New Year in the last month of autumn of the renchen cyclical year of the Wanli reign, respectfully engraved with bowed head, Ren [ ] from Qianju in Dianlin.”
Description
The bodhisattva Guanyin in the manifestation of a young lady with bare feet carrying a basket with a fish. This illustrates the variously told tale of a beautiful lady in the Tang dynasty who was offered marriage by many suitors. She consented to marry the person who could memorize a series of Buddhist sutras, but on the night of the wedding she died. Later, a monk appeared before the husband, Mr. Ma (hence, Fish-basket Guanyin is also known as “Mr. Ma’s wife” ), and when they opened her coffin, nothing was left except bones linked by a gold chain, the sign of a holy personage, particularly a bodhisattva. Such tales gained popularity in China during the Song dynasty and the fishmonger, who is not whom she seems, comes to be identified with Guanyin. This rubbing has selectively chosen red ink for the figure’s robes, hands, lips, topknot, and basket and handle and fish, while the remaining hair, neck, inner lapels, bare feet, and bottom of the basket are in black ink. The background was left blank as exposed paper, and above is a black-ink inscription.
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