White-Robed Guanyin

The original model for this ink drawing of Guanyin, the bodhisattva of infinite compassion (Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit), is CMA 1978.47.1. This drawing is a later copy with the same image of the White-Robed Guanyin, but in reverse. The inscription above reads: one of the 84,000 painted by the priest Insei.

The inscription seems to indicate that the Japanese priest Insei repeatedly copied the image of the bodhisattva in an act of piety and to accumulate merit, as is promised in the Lotus Sutra for anyone who paints images of the Buddha, they “will achieve the Buddha path.” The priest’s name and seal need further study and identification.

A vertically oriented painting depicts Guanyin, a deity with light skin and downcast eyes, seated atop a pink lotus. They wear an ornate gold cloak and fine jewelry. Behind their head, a radiant gold halo glows against a red background where small, flying apsaras float. The central scene is framed by elaborate silk borders featuring organic blue and gold patterns, creating a sense of divine presence.

White-Robed Guanyin

late 1200s–early 1300s

Jueji Yongzhong, Zhongfeng Mingben

(Chinese, active around 1300), (Chinese, 1263–1323)

China, Yuan dynasty (1271-1368)

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