Before the spirit of Buddhist sculpture began to diminish, there was a striking change in the image of Kwan Yin. The Buddhist deity of Mercy and Compassion in India was a male figure named Avalokitesvara. When he came to China, he gradually merged with the traditional Taoist Mother Goddess, Kwan Yin. His gender eventually changed from male to female. During the transitional period (from the 10th through the 13th centuries) the Kwan Yin figures are androgynous. Since the Sung Dynasty, almost all Kwan Yin statues in China have been female. Since the Ming Dynasty (14th-17th century), the classic statues of Kwan Yin, more graceful than any human could ever be, and worshipped by Buddhists and Taoists, have been made of pure white porcelain. She is now dwelling in millions of homes in this form. (FLG)