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Title
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Gilded Kuanyin at Fuhu Temple, Mt. Omei
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Caption
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Caption in Curated List: Gilded Kuanyin Goddess of Mercy near Omeihsien, about 100 feet high and with 1000 arms and hands. [Color]
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Caption in "Strange Gods in West China" (1926): Eighty feet high, myriad-armed Goddess of Mercy at Great Buddha Monastery near Omeishan, Sze.
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Identifier
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DCG_020
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Alternative Identifier
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064-120
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Description
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Gilded statue of androgynous Kuan Yin with multiple long arms. Graham estimated the height differently in several different captions; however, it is certain he was unable to take exact measurements in the temple. Kuan Yin's two pairs of arms in the front are forming mudras. The top one is the Anjali mudra, which unites the two sides of the body over the heart, bringing one into unity with the divine and, as a greeting gesture, welcomes others into divine communion. The lower one is likely the Bhairava mudra, representing harmony of body and mind, outer and inner. For the Bhairava mudra, the right hand would be placed on the left hand. This is how I received the digital version of this image; however, in its published version, it is reversed. When the left hand is placed on the right, it is called Bhairavi, and has the effect of activating consciousness and manifestation. It seems likely the standard form is correct. Kuanyin is flanked by smaller deities in red robes.
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Creator
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Graham, David Crockett
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Date Created
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1924-1926
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Location
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Fuhu Temple, Mt. Emei (29.56246286093031, 103.43807220874744)
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Original Format
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glass plate
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Source
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Whitman College and Northwest Archives
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Provenance
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Jean Graham Brown and Dorothy Graham Edson, daughers of DCG, and Chris Hoogendyk, grandson of DCG.
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Publisher
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SIUE
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Record Date
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2024-10-09
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Contributor
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Cory Willmott
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Type
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Still Image
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Published In
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David Crockett Graham. 1926. Strange Gods in West China. The Chinese Recorder 57(10): 692-698.
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David Crockett Graham. 1928. Religion in Szechuan Province, China. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 80(4): Plate 15.
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Subject
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deity
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abstract
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The caption from an image of the same statue taken at the same time reads: "The Great Thousand-Armed Goddess of Mercy at the Ta Fuh Ssu temple, near Omeishan, Szechuan Province, China. This goddess actually has one thousand hands and arms with which to perform deeds of mercy. The hands may be seen in rows above the head of the goddess. The figure is covered with gold, and including the arms and hands is nearly 100 feet high." (Published in Graham, David Crockett. 1928. Religion in Szechuan Province, China. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 80(4): Plate 13)
