Shown seated in the
lalitasana position on a pierced platform of a stylized lotus scroll, this figure is recognizable as Kuan-yin by the seated Amitabha Buddha in the apex of the
mandorla. The hair is pulled up into a high chignon and the right hand is holding a lotus bud of trefoil form. The pierced flame-form mandala is cast separately and attached with a pin at the back.
Gilded overall, the small bronze was likely part of an altar shrine where it was probably one of two bodhisattvas flanking a larger central image of the Buddha. The full, round face, narrow waist, and graceful pleated folds are typical of the high T'ang style.