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Lot Essay
The present figure represents the Dragon Girl (Longnü), a significant attendant figure in Chinese Buddhist iconography, shown standing gracefully while presenting a sacred jewel with both hands before her chest. Her full rounded face, finely arched brows, gently lowered eyes, and subtle smile are characteristic of Ming dynasty devotional sculpture, while the flowing treatment of the robes and scarves conveys an elegant sense of movement despite the figure’s composed stance.
The Dragon Girl originates from the Lotus Sutra (Miaofa Lianhua jing), in which she appears as the daughter of the Dragon King Sagara. According to the scripture, she attained enlightenment after hearing Manjushri preach the Dharma in the dragon palace and subsequently offered a precious jewel to the Buddha, symbolising ultimate devotion, wisdom, and spiritual accomplishment. In later Chinese Buddhist tradition, she became the female attendant of Guanyin, paired with Sudhana (Shancai tongzi) as one of the bodhisattva’s principal acolytes. The motif of the Dragon Girl presenting a jewel thus became an enduring symbol of piety and enlightened offering in Chinese religious art. See a related wood figure of Longnü, catalogued as a Daoist deity and dated 1500–1600, height 47 cm, in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, on loan from the heirs of H.F.E. Visser (object no. AK-RAK-2014-6).
The Dragon Girl originates from the Lotus Sutra (Miaofa Lianhua jing), in which she appears as the daughter of the Dragon King Sagara. According to the scripture, she attained enlightenment after hearing Manjushri preach the Dharma in the dragon palace and subsequently offered a precious jewel to the Buddha, symbolising ultimate devotion, wisdom, and spiritual accomplishment. In later Chinese Buddhist tradition, she became the female attendant of Guanyin, paired with Sudhana (Shancai tongzi) as one of the bodhisattva’s principal acolytes. The motif of the Dragon Girl presenting a jewel thus became an enduring symbol of piety and enlightened offering in Chinese religious art. See a related wood figure of Longnü, catalogued as a Daoist deity and dated 1500–1600, height 47 cm, in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, on loan from the heirs of H.F.E. Visser (object no. AK-RAK-2014-6).