Dehua-kiln, white-glazed porcelain seated Guanyin statue

The kilns of Dehua, located in Dehua County in the central part of Fujian Province, are an important ancient porcelain production site. Following the Ming Dynasty, customized Dehua white porcelain became a sought-after luxury item among European high society and royalty. In the 1904 book, Chinese Art, British author Stephen Wootton Bushell wrote: "Dehua kilns were particularly known for white porcelain, which was considered the finest Chinese porcelain, and which the French once called Blanc de Chine. It is distinct from other Eastern ceramics. The porcelain has a smooth, milky-white texture resembling ivory. The body is covered in a thick, glossy, bright jade glaze. It shines like soft porcelain." This resulted in a European trend of imitating Dehua white porcelain, earning it the title of the Mother of World White Porcelain.
This statue depicts the goddess Guanyin with an oval face, nodded slightly downward in a contemplative expression. Her hair is styled into an angular bun shape, and she wears jewels on her chest with a silk scarf draped around her neck. She sits cross-legged, with both hands on one knee, revealing one foot resting on the rock beneath her. A wrapped-up scripture rests on another rock beside her. There is a natural fluidity to her flowing robes.