A Chinese black lacquered and gilt bronze figure of a Guan Yin seated in rajalilasana on a snow lion, she is wearing heavy robes, jewelry and a pierced crown, snow lion with finely engraved mane and tail. The centerpiece of the pierced openwork crown shows a tiny diminutive figure of Buddha. In this case the spiritual father of Guan Yin: the Jina Amithaba. Guan Yin is the Chinese Female interpretation of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and thus the same as the Tibetan, male counterpart Padmapani (Tibetan: Chenrezi). Guan Yin is usually shown in a white flowing robe - white being the symbol of purity -, and usually wearing necklaces of Indian/Chinese royalty. In the right hand is a water jar (as the Sacred Vase the water jar also one of the Eight Buddhist Symbols of good Fortune) containing pure water, the divine nectar of life, compassion and wisdom, and in the left, a willow branch to sprinkle the divine nectar of life upon the devotees as to bless them with physical and spiritual peace. The willow branch is also a symbol of being able to bend (or adapt) but not break. The willow is also used in shamanistic rituals and has had medicinal purposes as well. The crown usually depicts the image of Amitabha Buddha (Fully Conscious Infinite Light), Guan Yin's spiritual teacher before she became a Bodhisattva. A bird, mostly a dove, representing fecundity is flying toward her. A necklace or rosary is associated with her calls upon Buddha for succor, each bead of it representing all living beings and the turning of the beads symbolizes that Guan Yin is leading them out of their state of misery and repeated rounds of rebirth into nirvana, hence the beads represent enlightenment.Should a book or scroll of papers be within the portrayal, it is representing the Dharma, the teaching of Buddha or the sutra, the Buddhist text, Guan Yin is said to have constantly recited from. Size: L:525mm / W:360mm ; 20kg; Provenance: property of a London collector acquired in the early 1990s.