This is a wooden Tang-dynasty statue of seated Guanyin Bodhisattva, also known as Water-Moon Guanyin Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva appears solemn and pure. She wears a crown, a flowing scarf and a long skirt. Her right foot is placed naturally on the ground, her left knee is bent, her left arm is placed on her left knee, and her right hand is resting on her seat. The Bodhisattva looks like she is just sitting down for a moment, ready to get up to save living beings at the first sign of their distress.
Exuding a compassionate aura, the Bodhisattva lowers her gaze and tries to detect the cries of the troubled ones; gazing upon the reflection of the moon in the water, she enlightens the world, guiding people to let go of their attachments and practice to reach liberation. Bai Juyi, the great poet of the Tang dynasty, once praised a painting of Water-Moon Guanyin Bodhisattva thus: “On the pure water, basking in white light, when her face is seen, everything becomes void.”