Thousand-Armed Guanyin Statue with a Sculpted Backplate

Description

The joined palms draw the eye to the center of this Thousand-Armed Guanyin statue. From there, rows of hands spread outward across a tall, shaped backplate, while crowned faces rise one above another. Seen from the side, the projecting arms reveal the depth behind the symmetrical front view. It is a detailed composition that benefits from space around it and light falling across the metal.

Compassion Reaching in Every Direction

Thousand-Armed Guanyin is the familiar English name for Qianshou Guanyin (千手观音), with qianshou meaning “a thousand hands.” This form of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, expresses the wish to respond to the suffering of many beings. The radiating hands give that idea a visible form: care extending beyond a single pair of arms. Kuan Yin is another widely used name for Guanyin.

Here, the calm central face and joined hands remain the focus within the elaborate arrangement. Smaller palms, a water vessel, beaded jewelry and patterned robes reward a closer look.

Cast Brass, Worked in Light and Shadow

Made in Tongling, Anhui, the figure is cast by the lost-wax method with hand-chased details. Its antique tea-gold finish brings bright gold-colored highlights to the face and hands, with deeper brown tones in the recesses. A double lotus seat rests on a rectangular pedestal decorated with lion reliefs and a draped-cloth motif. The reverse of the backplate is plain and dark, as shown in the rear photograph.

The statue measures approximately 65 cm high × 35.5 cm wide × 17.5 cm deep (25.6 × 14.0 × 6.9 in) and weighs about 19 kg (41.89 lb), excluding packaging. Consider the overall width as well as the height when choosing its position. A sturdy, level altar or display surface with room for the backplate will let the full outline be appreciated.

Included is one brass Guanyin statue with the pictured backplate and pedestal. Keep it in a dry indoor space, dust gently with a soft cloth, and avoid soaking or acidic cleaners. Support the base when moving it; the hands and ornamental backplate are not lifting points.