Antique
Japanese Carved Okimono
Kannon
On Dragon Plinth
Seal
mark Signed. Circa: Meiji, early 20th century
H 2.5
in.(6cm), W 2.75 in.(7cm), D 2 in.(5cm)
Condition: measurement
not including wood base, o.a. very good.
Private Collection | 
| Rising
in meditation just above the dragon, Kannon embodies compassion, bending with
the winds of change much like a dragon’s body bending through the sky. Her robe
is sparsely decorated with a falling leaf motif, enclosing her rounded shoulders
and framing her quiet face. Carved from a light, almost white colored ivory, the
piece is precisely rendered, from the smoothed contours of Kannon’s form, to the
amber inlays of the dragon’s eyes; the curves of its scales intermeshed with the
corners of cut clouds. The dragon is a symbol of strength and creativity. In this
piece, the goddess has tamed the dragon, floating just above on a pillow of mist.
There is a maker’s seal, unreadable and in red, cut into the back of the dragon
plinth. In excellent condition.
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