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Japanese Kwan yin statue holding two fish | Japanese Antiques58 of 243 |  |  |
Posted 7 months ago
carolfarkas1
(1 item)
Need help in identifying, this was bought in Japan in 1970's She is 7",has two fish in her right hand, other hand at her side. Is she jade? Came in beautiful lined box with ivory peg for sealing. Can't find any one like this on line.
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Japanese AntiquesJapan, with its history of seclusion, has long fascinated Westerners. When …
Hi, this is not jade, but lost wax molded composition. In Japan, Quan Yin, goddess of mercy, is known as Kannon. The packaging, blue lined box with ivory pin clasps is typical of a variety of souvenier items. Best wishes, Jim
Jim, thanks for this , but what is LOST WAX composition????
Why does she hold two fish? Carol
Hi Carol, 'lost wax' is an ancient complex casting process, if you Google the term you can find several descriptions. 'Composition' is the material used, and can be any of a variety of bronzes, brass, epoxys, resins, and the like. Now for the fish. The lore and legends surrounding Quan Yin are massive. She has at least a dozen names, and is depicted in many forms: seated or standing on a lotus, Standing with fish or a fish basket, with a parrot, with children, or on a dragon, with beads, holding a lotus plant. On porcelain she is frequently depicted with two or more rakans (holy men). If you Google "Quan Yin' alone or with terms like 'fish and 'fish basket', you can get lost in the available lore. Hope this helps and good luck, Jim
Jim, thanks for all of this, really appreciated as I had been on line a lot and had not found any depictions of Kannon with the two fish...fish basket though. The statue was purchased by my late husband sometime in early 1970's when he went to Japan. I was curious about "her" Some of the items from his collecting are of great value, like the Rapi Nui stautes which I donated to the Easter Island Foundation.
Could be a bowenite stone, but there are glass ones, plastic ones and any rock shop or jewelry store has a gemstone tester that can test the item. The bowenite is collectable, the molded glass, plastic not so much. The lost wax molded composition comes in all the colors that jade does. Even some jadeite statues are found to be molded leaded glass.
thanks papa, I'll look into this, only wish my late husband had left some clues!