Becoming Guanyin: Artistic Devotion of Buddhist Women in Late Imperial China

Yuhang Li's book "Becoming Guanyin" explores how lay Buddhist women in late imperial China forged a connection with the subject of their devotion, Guanyin, by using their bodies to echo that of the deity. Li focuses on the power of material things to enable women to access religious experience and transcendence, and how secular Buddhist women expressed mimetic devotion and pursued religious salvation through creative depictions of Guanyin in different media.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 03 May 2022
Publisher: Columbia University Press

The goddess Guanyin, originally a male deity, began her journey in India as the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. Over the course of nearly a millennium, she gradually embraced her femininity in China, evolving into the most revered female deity during the Ming and Qing periods (1358–1644 and 1644–1911, respectively). In her captivating book, Becoming Guanyin, Yuhang Li delves into the profound ways in which lay Buddhist women in late imperial China forged a profound connection with their devotion. Li argues that these women utilized their own bodies as vessels to resonate with the essence of Guanyin, employing creative expressions such as painting, embroidery, and bodily portrayals adorned with jewelry and dance to convey their mimetic devotion and seek religious salvation.

These material displays, while distinct from the Confucian patriarchal system, found a harmonious coexistence within it. Li's meticulous exploration of the fabrication and use of "womens things" by secular women offers a fresh perspective on the intricate relationships between worshippers and the deities they revere. By integrating empirical research with theoretical insights from art history and Buddhist studies, Becoming Guanyin emerges as a groundbreaking analysis that unveils the intricate interplay between material culture, religion, and their gendered transformations. This book not only sheds light on the historical significance of Guanyin but also contributes to our understanding of the broader dynamics of religious practice and gender roles in ancient China.

Weight: 624g
Dimension: 147 x 226 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231190138