A large Chinese porcelain blue and white figure of Guanyin, Circa 1900

A very large and very heavy Chinese porcelain blue and white figure of Guanyin, seated cross-legged on a lotus throne above two attendants. Dating from circa.1900.  97cms tall, 37cms wide and 25cms deep.

Guanyin (simplified Chinese: 观音; traditional Chinese: 觀音; pinyin: Guānyīn) is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She was first given the appellation of "Goddess of Mercy" or "Mercy Goddess" by Jesuit missionaries in China. Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World." On the 19th day of the sixth lunar month, Guanyin's attainment of Buddhahood is celebrated.Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus, and then sent to the western pure land of Sukhāvatī. Guanyin is often referred to as the "most widely beloved Buddhist Divinity" with miraculous powers to assist all those who pray to her, as is mentioned in the Pumen chapter of Lotus Sutraand Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra.