Anonymous, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Hanging scroll, gold ink and colors on paper, 126.7 x 81.1 cm.

   The background of this hanging scroll is rendered in dark blue. Depicted herein is a large lotus blossom above the waves upon  which Chundi, a form of Kuan-Yin, solemnly sits cross-legged. 

The figure wears a five-pointed  crown and jewelry draped across the torso.

   The face is distinguished by a third eye, and the figure has eighteen arms. Some of the hands form "mudras" (gestures), while most  hold ritual objects. In each corner above, a heavenly deity approaches on clouds, while  two dragon kings below support the lotus stem.

    The monk in the lower right probably is a Cundi practitioner. The work was done in gold ink with fine flowing lines. The drapery patterns appear complete and detailed, making this a fine Buddhist painting from the
  Ming dynasty.

Kuan-yin 

     Ting Yun-p'eng, a native of Anhwei, was a renowned late Ming painter of landscapes,  birds-and-flowers, and Buddhist and Taoist  figures.

     Each of the 16 leaves of this album includes a representation of Kuan-yin, who exhibits mercy and compassion out of concern and transforms  into various forms to perform salvation for  humanity. This album was done using either the "pai-miao" (outline) manner or with simple brushstrokes. Some lines are complex and flowing  with rounded turns, while others show angular force with obvious variation in the thickness.

    Others are abbreviated yet expressive. Judging from the variety and quality of this work, it is not surprising that Ting was known as a master of figure painting in the Ming dynasty.

     In Buddhism, bodhisattvas are not differentiated by gender. Consequently, in this album, Kuan-yin is shown as a male and as a female (sometimes even as both masculine and  feminine). Each visualization of Kuan-yin varies, representing the concept of Kuan-yin as a deity
 who can transform into any form in order to save  others.

   From the signature on the last leaf of this album, this work was done in 1618 by Ting at the age of 71. 

Kuan-yin of the Fish Basket 

    Wu Pin (fl. 1568-1627), Ming Dynasty Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, 187.8 x 85cm

    Wu Pin was a native of Fukien who settled in Nanking. He specialized in painting landscapes, birds-and-flowers, and Buddhist and Taoist figures. 

   It is said that in 817, during the T'ang dynasty, there was a beautiful maiden who sold fish from a basket. With many suitors, she indicated that she would marry the man who could memorize overnight the Kuan-yin chapter from the "Lotus Sutra" or the "Diamond Sutra". As it turned out, many were able to do so. She thereupon said that she would betroth the suitor who could also memorize the entire text of the "Lotus Sutra" in three days. Only one young man, surnamed Ma, succeeded and they thereupon married.

    Immediately afterwards, however, she fell ill and
died. Only then was it learned that the beautiful girl
was a manifestation of Kuan-yin. Hence, she became known as Kuan-yin of the Fish Basket and as Mrs. Ma Kuan-yin. 

    In this representation, she wears straw sandals and holds a sutra scroll as a child attendant stands next to her holding a fish basket.

    Though Kuan-yin here is supposed to be a young maiden, the heavyset features of the oval face seem to lack the beauty with which she was associated. The disproportionate size between her and the attendant makes her seem unusually large and elongated. The drapery lines are also done using coarse strokes with thick ink. Nonetheless,many of the lines are curved and parallel, imparting an unusual yet appealing quality to this painting. 

White-robed Kuan-yin 

   Tu-ling Nei-shih, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)  Hanging scroll, ink and colors on silk, 54 x 28.6 cm

   Tu-ling nei-shih (personal name Chu) is the sobriquet of the daughter of the famous artist Ch'iu Ying (ca. 1494 -1552). Influenced by her father, she was good at landscape as well as figure painting, and she is a famous female artist of the Ming dynasty. 

    In this work, the White-robed Kuan-yin sits on a large blue lotus blossom rising from a pond and surrounded by lotus leaves and reeds. She appears with several objects that she is often associated with. Resting on a lotus pod next to her is the water vase of purity. The vase rests in a water cup and holds a willow branch. With her elegant facial features, Kuan-yin is shown as a
beautiful maiden adorned with flowing drapery lines. The leaves and reeds are done in outlines and light ink washes, while other details include washes of color for contrast, especially evident in the white pigment of Kuan-yin's robes. The elegance and otherworldliness of the figure make this an exceptional work by a female artist of the Ming dynasty. 
 
 
 
 
 

Kuan-yin Bestowing Children

    Anonymous, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Hanging scroll, ink on paper, 98.1 x 35.6 cm 

    According to the Kuan-yin chapter of the
"Lotus Sutra", if a female follower of Kuan-yin wishes to have a child, all she has to do is say the name of Kuan-yin and she will conceive. It was thus that the belief in Kuan-yin as a bestower of children emerged in China. 

    This hanging scroll shows a lady holding a child. She has a willow branch in her right hand and a water cup in her left. Representing Kuan-yin as the bestower of children, she has very down-to-earth features and a visage that emanates mercy and compassion, much like that of a kind and loving mother.

    Her face, hair, hands, and feet were all done with fine strokes of light ink using a strong yet steady brush. Close examination of the drapery lines reveals that they are composed of tiny characters transcribed from the Kuan-yin chapter in the "Lotus Sutra" in regular script. The text starts from the left arm of Kuan-yin near the head of the child and continues character-for-character
in fine elegant script, truly revealing the religious dedication of the artist. 

Kuan-yin of the Lotuses 

    Shao Mi (fl. 1593-1642), Ming Dynasty Hanging scroll, ink on paper, 65.1 x 34.4 cm 

    Shao Mi, a native of Soochow, was gifted at poetry, prose, calligraphy, and painting, in which he excelled in the subjects of landscapes and orchids-and-stones. 

    On a pond with several lotus blossoms, Kuan-yin is shown here with a beard and moustache. The appearance of Kuan-yin differs greatly from that usually associated with the deity, resulting in the figure looking more like a scholar.

    In fact, if it was not for the artist's inscription, it would be somewhat difficult to identify this figure. Walking on the water, he wears a cloth cap and a long robe and carries a figure-topped cane (perhaps indicating that this is no ordinary person). The facial features and hand are rendered in outlines of light ink for an exceptionally fine and delicate look. Other areas, such as the drapery, are done more sketchily for a free and loose quality. The unconventional depiction in the form of a scholar provides yet another interpretation of the Kuan-yin deity.
This work is dated to 1626.