Guanyin Statue

A vibrant glass ornament representing Guanyin.

This ornament forms part of a range accompanying the British Museum exhibition Feminine power: the divine to the demonic.

This statue is crafted from glass with a separate wood base, and shows Guanyin sitting cross-legged on a lotus flower.

Guanyin is the Chinese name given to the Buddhist Bodhisattva of Compassion, popularly called ‘The Goddess of Mercy’. With a name meaning ‘Perceiver of Sounds’, Guanyin is frequently depicted as a beautiful and serene woman on a lotus flower, although some images present her as male, providing connections between the Bodhisattva and the concept of gender fluidity. Guanyin’s teachings are found in the Lotus Sutra.

A lovely souvenir from the exhibition.