This ceramic shrine features the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (better known as Guanyin in China) seated at the centre with a serene expression. The figure is dressed in voluminous robes, long beaded necklaces and an elaborate headdress. Flanking the figure are a parrot, monkey and a water bottle. Cloud scrolls amid jagged peaks, bamboo groves and waves (from which a lotus flower emerges) frame the deity. These details are a reference to Potalaka, the sacred island abode of Guanyin, which from the 10th century onwards has been associated with Putuo shan in Zhejiang province by the Chinese. Most of the sculpture is covered with a translucent qingbai (bluish-white) glaze.
