Bronze statue of Guanyin, from China or Vietnam

This bronze statue is lacquered and painted, 110 cm H, from China or Vietnam, ca. 1900. An inscription in Chinese characters on the lower back records the name of the donor. Guanyin is the name in China for the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, associated with compassion. During the Song dynasty (10-13th C) the style of Gunayin statues gradually evolved from their original male form into a more feminine form in China, and this is evident in this statue.