Guanyin
sculptor
Unknown
Datelate 11th century - early 12th century
Place MadeChina, East Asia
MediumPainted Paulownia wood with remains of gilding
Dimensions116.8 x 66 cm (46 x 26 in.)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberS8w1
eMuseum ID719429
Other NumberS32n35
EmbARK ObjectID11363
TMS Source ID587
Last Updated8/14/24
Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryThe Chinese name Guanyin means "One who heeds the cries (of others)." Guanyin was first worshipped in India and subsequently introduced into China. As is customary, Guanyin is clad in the sumptuous garb of an Indian prince. This statue was originally displayed as an icon in a Buddhist temple. Gardner placed it over the doorway leading to a chamber filled with Japanese and Chinese art that she nicknamed the "Buddha Room.” Not considered part of the museum's original installation, this gallery was emptied and its works sold off in 1971, a tragic episode in the museum's history.
BibliographyNotesLaurence Binyon. "A Masterpiece of Chinese Sculpture." Art in America 7 (October 1919), pp. 225-27.
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 57, pl. 5.
William N. Mason. “Notes, Records, Comments.” Gardner Museum Calendar of Events 6, no. 47 (21 Jul. 1963), pp. 1-2.
Yasuko Horioka et al. Oriental and Islamic Art: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston: 1975), pp. 22-25, ills.
Rollin van N. Hadley. Museums Discovered: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. (Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 1981), 200-201, ill.
Alan Chong et al. (eds.) Eye of the Beholder: Masterpieces from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 2003), 183, ill.
Alan Chong and Noriko Murai. Journeys East: Isabella Stewart Gardner and Asia. Exh. cat. (Boston: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2009), pp. 37-39 figs. 39-40, 41, 440-41 fig. 16.
Nancy Berliner, "Listening, Learning, Meditating: Isabella's Journey with Chinese Art," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 7 December 2020, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/listening-learning-meditating-isabellas-journey-chinese-art
Jessica Chloros, "Technical Study of an 11th-12th century Guanyin Sculpture," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 22 August 2023, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/technical-study-11th-12th-century-guanyin-sculpture
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 57, pl. 5.
William N. Mason. “Notes, Records, Comments.” Gardner Museum Calendar of Events 6, no. 47 (21 Jul. 1963), pp. 1-2.
Yasuko Horioka et al. Oriental and Islamic Art: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston: 1975), pp. 22-25, ills.
Rollin van N. Hadley. Museums Discovered: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. (Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 1981), 200-201, ill.
Alan Chong et al. (eds.) Eye of the Beholder: Masterpieces from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 2003), 183, ill.
Alan Chong and Noriko Murai. Journeys East: Isabella Stewart Gardner and Asia. Exh. cat. (Boston: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2009), pp. 37-39 figs. 39-40, 41, 440-41 fig. 16.
Nancy Berliner, "Listening, Learning, Meditating: Isabella's Journey with Chinese Art," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 7 December 2020, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/listening-learning-meditating-isabellas-journey-chinese-art
Jessica Chloros, "Technical Study of an 11th-12th century Guanyin Sculpture," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 22 August 2023, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/technical-study-11th-12th-century-guanyin-sculpture
ProvenanceNotesPurchased by Isabella Stewart Gardner from the dealer Parish-Watson & Co. Inc., New York, for $19,800 in 1919.
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