A Chinese gilt bronze miniature statuette of Guanyin dating from the Tang dynasty. Guanyin stands in tribhanga or contrapposto with her hip shifted to the left. Her right hand hangs down and holds the top of a water jug. She stands upon a double lotus pedestal. A three-pointed crown sits upon her head, and she is adorned with jewelry and a floral garland. Dimensions are: 2 1/8 inches tall X 3/4 inches wide, 5.4 cm X 1.9 cm. Weight: 21.1 grams. All measurements are approximate. Condition: There is wear to the gilt. Provenance: From the collection of Mr. Williams in Texas. Mr. Williams has more than 50 years of collecting experience in Buddhist sculptures, paintings, and ritual objects from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, and the Central Plains of China. He has participated in sales around the world including in Hong Kong and throughout Tibet and Europe. This lot was purchased from a Swiss auction. Similar, larger statues are currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City under accession number 42.25.27a, b and the Harvard Art Museum under accession number 1943.53.61. Similar examples have been sold at Sotheby's New York on March 23, 2011, as lot 690 and at Bonhams London on November 10, 2011, as lot 505. High resolution images can be found here.