Quan Yin, semi-seated, reclining, carved from a single piece of granite

A Quan Yin sculpture in a semi-seated, reclining pose, carved from a single block of granite. The pose depicts a relaxed meditation posture of the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

Quan Yin (Chinese Guanyin) is one of the most frequently depicted figures in East Asian Buddhist sculpture. The semi-reclining variant is a rarer pose within the iconography and lends the figure a particularly serene presence.

Granite is an intrusive igneous rock composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica. Its hardness (Mohs 6-7) makes the material challenging yet durable for sculpture. A figure of this size carved from a single block indicates exceptional raw material availability.

The Chinese sculptural tradition has been working with granite sculptures of religious figures since the Tang Dynasty. Courtyard or gallery dimensions, with a free-standing presentation, are typical applications.