benevolent fire box

This style of fire call box which is all over New York, reminds me of Japanese Buddhist sculptures of Kannon, Goddess of Mercy. (note: the Chinese style of Guan Yin is somewhat different) There is one example in my neighborhood that is particularly lovely -- very old with peeling paint -- that is, to me, so similar to various standing examples of this deity. Similarities in form: the "pose," the