Vintage Tibetan silver Guanyin pendant

Very nice vintage pendant with the depiction of Guanyin. 

Guanyin is the Chinese version of the bodhisattva also known under the names of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, one of the most well-known and most highly regarded figures in the Buddhist group of "Eight Boddhisattva's".

In the iconography of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig he is mostly depicted as a male being, and also older depictions of Guanyin show him as such, but somewhere between the 8th and 10th century the depiction slowly shifted into her nowadays almost exclusively female version.

A bodhisattva is the name for a buddhist deity who has reached the state of bodhicita, but consciously chooses not yet to take that final step towards becoming a fully enlightened buddha. Instead choosing to stay close to the eartly realms to assist others on their paths, driven to do so out of a great sense of compassion. 

And this characteristic is exactly what Guanyin / Avalokiteshvara embodies; the ultimate, selfless and unconditional compassion of the Buddha. The name 'Guanyin' can be roughly translated as 'the one who perceives all the sounds of the world', refering to the fact that she is said to hear and listen to all the prayers and pleas of mankind, always ready to come to the assistance, bringing comfort and solace.

Next to the more general characteristics that are ascribed to all relatives in the Guanyin - Avalokiteshavara - Chenrezig family, there are also some more specific features associated with Guanyin. For example as a goddess of the sea or as 'Songzi', the 'child-giver';  an aspect in which she is prayed to for blessing families with healthy children and especially male heirs.

This pendant shows Guanyin in one of her most iconic postures; her left hand holding a bottle that is sometimes said to contain pure water (representing her role as purifier and nurturer) and sometimes to contain amrita, the nectar of life. Her right hand is raised in vitarka mudra; the thumb and index finger touching to form a circle, representing the perfection and continuous flow of knowledge from the teachings of the Buddha.

The backside shows more recognizable symbols from her iconography. Here it actually shows Guanyin's compassion in action; the leaves are those from a willow, a tree naturally close to the Water element and known for its ability to bend almost endlessly instead of breaking. Guanyin is said to use a willow branch to sprinkle the divine water of healing and blessing into the world, each small drop with the ability to spread into increasingly bigger ripples.

This pendant has a nice solid and robust feeling. It is from vintage origin, but overall in very good condition. The silvery metal of which it has been made, is most likely Tibetan silver.

Sizes; approximately 5 centimeters high and 3,5 centimeters wide. Weight is 55 grams.

Only one available.