Japanese Works of ArtA VERY LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE JAPANESE BRONZE STATUE OF KANNONBronzeJapan, Meiji period (1868 - 1912)The goddess of mercy is standing tall on a lotus pedestal, her hands held in anjali mudra with praying beads around them. Her robes are beautifully incised with various floral elements and scrolling foliage and she bears an accomplished dignified expression. An exceedingly fine casting in which the carving is minutely executed, with a sense of delicacy and refinement that extends to the smallest detail. The face of Kannon is superbly meditative. Her gesture that is said to provide connection with the divine in all things. Hence, performing anjali mudra is a honoring of both the self and the other as the gesture acknowledges the divinity of both practitioner and recipient. The sign is used to invoke the deepest respect that an individual may feel towards another entity that they may face, irrespective of age, gender, race or religion.Around the face are incised locks of hair surmounted by a crown of Hibiscus flowers, a homage to the Hindu goddess Kali, destroyer of all evil. Over this crown is a draped hood of her robes, which fall in perfect arcs and loops to the base of the stepped lotus throne with gathers of fabric thinned at the edges to suggest silkiness and transparency. Shape: Figural shape with a square base and lotus pedestalDimensions: 68 cm (height)Condition: Excellent condition with beautiful patinaProvenance: French private collection