Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Sculpture (1)

An early Chinese Buddhist sculptural relic. Wood figure of "thousand armed" Avalokiteshvara. Originally with 18 arms, the figure retains only four arms. The surface, with remnants of lacquer and gilt, substantially distressed. Late Song or early Yuan dynasty. The base appears to be a tightly grained, dense and heavy hardwood with nice, undulating figure in the grain - likely zitan. Figure height (not including base), 8 5/8 inches.