元

During the Tang to Yuan dynasties, Buddhist images of the deities such as Manjusri and Avalokitesvara (or Guanyin) were popularly portrayed seated in Rajalilasana, a posture of royal ease with the left leg placed horizonatally and the right leg vertically pendent. The present seated figure can be identified as the Watermoon Gaunyin, Nanhai Guanyin (Avalokitesvara of the Southern Seas). Both names refer to the Guanyin residing at Mount Potalak on the southern coast of India, and the imagery was introduced into China with the translation of the Avatamsaka, Huayan, sutra in the early 5th century.

Early Chinese ivory carved in subject-form are exceedingly rare. Compare the delicate carving of the facial features to two similar Buddhist figures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, included in the exhibition, Chinese Ivories from Shang to the Qing, Oriental Ceramic Society, 1984, and illustrated by J. Watt, Catalogue, p. 33, no. 14. The Metropolitan figures are dated 14th to 16th century although the author noted in support of a Yuan dating that the figure of Manjusri is very similar to Yuan period temple columns and the liberal use of the strings of beads is characteristic of the 14th century Bodhisattva images of South China, ibid, p. 33.

The result of a radio-carbon dating of the ivory material taken from the base of the present figure is consisent with a Yuan dynasty dating (laboratory reference RCB-7202).