The bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin)

To attract devotees, each detail of the garment of this feminine Guanyin is carefully rendered on the bronze statue. Unlike earlier statues, the clothing is Chinese in style, as are the facial features and general demeanor of the figure. The hand gestures seen here are unusual. The thumb and middle fingers of Guanyin’s right hand encircle the left wrist, while the index and little fingers extend out. This
gesture is repeated on the left hand, but the thumb and middle fingers also grasp a pearl in a “counting the pearls” gesture. The pearl is pierced and may once have been part of a longer string. This gesture does not appear among those used to identify Guanyin in the Lotus Sutra, and its exact meaning is unclear. Nevertheless, it is a delicate and very personal gesture, enhancing this very human image.