PROVENIENCE UNDOCUMENTED. IDENTIFICATION PROVIDED BY HMSG. TALL STANDING CARVED WOODEN MALE FIGURE HAS A SQUARE BLACK WOODEN BASE. LOWER PART (FROM THE KNEES DOWN) OF STATUE IS EMBEDDED IN THE BASE. FIGURE'S ARMS ARE AT THE SIDES, BROKEN OFF AT THE ELBOWS. FACIAL FEATURES MOSTLY OBSCURED FROM LOSSES OF WOOD. HAS LONG EARS, TOP KNOT. WEARS A CLOSE-FITTING ROBE THAT HAS A MANTLE DRAPED OVER THE BACK BUT LEAVES THE RIGHT SHOULDER & ARM BARE. CONDITIONS: THE BACK SIDE REMAINS RELATIVELY SMOOTH W/ LITTLE SIGNS OF DETERIORATION. FRONT SIDE IS RIDDLED W/ INSECT HOLES. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE KIMBELL ART MUSEUM'S WEB SITE, "KANNON IS THE JAPANESE NAME FOR AVALOKITESVARA, THE BODHISATTVA OF COMPASSION. BECAUSE OF THE BOUNDLESS LOVE HE OFFERED TO ALL BEINGS, THIS BODHISATTVA WAS THE MOST POPULAR OF ALL THE BUDDHIST DIVINITIES THROUGHOUT ASIA." ACCORDING TO HMSG ACCESSION RECORDS, MR. HIRSHHORN PURCHASED ITEM FROM MR. STANTON MACDONALD-WRIGHT IN THE EARLY 1960'S. SCULPTURE IS DATED FROM THE TEMPYO ERA, 720-810 A.D. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, SEE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS IN HMSG ACCESSION RECORDS.
