This statuette of Kuan Yin, originally known as Avalokiteswara (the observing Lord), is a highly venerated female manifestation of the Buddha that appears in Chinese texts around 400 AD.

Kuan Yin means “she who hears the cries of the world” and personifies the Buddha’s great compassion for the needy and suffering souls.

According to legend, Kuan Yin attained “the great spiritual understanding” and was rewarded with immortality by Buddha. She is shown here seated, one leg dangling and the other bent, in the position of relaxation, totally attentive.