Next to the Buddha, the most popular of all Buddhist deities is
Kuan-yin, commonly called the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Due to
its Indian origin, early Kuan-yin images were represented as
Gandharan princes sumptuously dressed in dhotis and adorned with
silk scarves and rich jewelry. Held in the left hand is a lotus
bud, the Buddhist symbol of purity. This figure of Kuan-yin is
especially significant in that it provides the only dated
example of a regional sub-style that marks a departure from the
rigid frontality that characterized the sculpture of earlier
generations. Inscriptions on the base date the sculpture to 571
and indicate it was commissioned by Meng-yen, a district
magistrate; Meng Sung-hsun, a village head; and 41 civic leaders
who helped establish a temple at Ku-shih po-Ssu near Sian in
Shansi province. By 581, the statue had been desecrated by anti-
Buddhists but in that year, according to the second inscription,
the temple was restored and rededicated.