Yaozhou: Statuette of Child-Granting Avalokitesvara

CHINA, Shaanxi, Tongchuan; Jin dynasty

This celadon figurine of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva was created in the Yaozhou kilns in Shaanxi province.
Avalokitesvara wears a headdress, on which there is an Amitabha Buddha image and a silk scarf that hangs down to the shoulders. The Bodhisattva has a round face, downcast eyes, plump cheeks, a large nose, and a small mouth. A stole is draped around the narrow shoulders, and the bare chest is decorated with an ornate necklace. Avalokitesvara has a broad band with flower patterns tied around the lower chest and a loose-hanging garment that covers the lower body. The right hand rests upon the knee, while the left holds an infant who stands on the leg of the Bodhisattva and faces forward, laughing with his mouth wide open.