Cast in lost wax solid bronze, this exquisite Ming-style Guan Yin Bronze is a graceful rendition of the beloved Bodhisattva, the feminine form of Avalokiteshvara, the goddess of universal compassion. She is depicted here with a single long-stemmed lotus bud, in distinctly Ming Dynasty style. The bronze surface is heavily patinated over the ages, with mottled mineral deposits in green and malachite formations among remnants of shimmering, remaining gilding. The Bodhisattva of Compassion has the beautiful face of a young maiden, wearing an Amitabha crown over finely drawn parallel hairlines, with a symmetrical array of ornaments, in an upright and immovable meditation posture above a lotus throne strung with triple rows of petals. The simplicity of Ming design extends to the back with a droplet-shaped limbus and a large lotus leaf wrapped around the pedestal.