Ca. 1368-1644 AD. Ming Dynasty. Dark reddish-orange stone head of a woman with “snail-shell” hair curls, deeply incised, closed eyes with heavy eyelids, prominent ears and a small, flattened nose. She wears an urna on her forehead. The small mouth features thick, rich lips above a rounded chin. This piece was probably originally part of a larger statue or statuette. In Chinese mythology, the Guanyin is all-seeing, all-hearing goddess who acts as the patron deity of mercy and is the very embodiment of compassion. She is probably originally linked to the Hindu god Avalokite?vara at the time when Buddhism became popular in China, and the original Hindu myth mixed with local Chinese folklore. As a result, a Guanyin can also be depicted as male, though female representations are more common. Excellent condition; on a custom-made stand.Size: L:400mm / W:260mm (w/o stand); 37.1kg. Provenance: From the private collection of a Cambridgeshire gentleman; previously in an old British collection, formed before 2000 on the UK /European art markets.