Buddhist group with Kuan Kin. China, 20th century.In coral with three branches.Wooden base.Weight: 624 gr.Measurements: 33 x 13.5 x 4 cm .; 36.5 x 19.5 x 11 cm.Delicate coral carving, formed by five boddisatwas. Presiding over the group is Kuan Yin, the Chinese goddess of mercy, adorned with sumptuous draped robe, and crowned by a diadem above which is represented a seated Buddha. At her side, another praying figure rises on a lotus flower, as do the other two sages accompanying the lady. A large fish, symbol of prosperity, is depicted at the top of the coral.Among the most beautiful products that the sea offers to the vanity of humans is undoubtedly the red coral, which in all times has served as a precious adornment with which many peoples adorned and ornamented themselves. In some Eastern cultures, red coral is not only a highly esteemed adornment, but also a sign of dignity or command: the mandarins of China wore it as an attribute of their authority. The Turks were also very fond of coral ornaments, which they wore not only on their person, but also in the decoration and ornamentation of their homes. The Greeks designated coral by the name of korallion, which means "ornament of the sea", this word passed into Latin as corallium, from which the word coral was derived. The color of the limestone shaft offers a great variety of shades ranging from red to pink and some of these colorations have a delicate and soft pink hue, the most sought after by divers. The limestone shaft is so compact and homogeneous that it can be subjected to the most perfect polishing without disintegration and cracking, a property that allows it to be worked and carved in a thousand different ways to achieve countless objects of adornment or art.