Page 260 - Important Chinese Art Sothebys March 2019

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propertY From a north amerICan prIVate palace), a god who is typically depicted as a
CoLLeCtIon scholar-official with a long beard. In 1987 the
A LARGE GILT-LACQUER WOOD figure was described as Guanyin, as the deity
FIGURE OF A DAOIST DEITY is a matronly female figure, however the Daoist
LATE MING DYNASTY god named in the inscription would imply that
this figure was also Daoist, and flanked a Daoist
carved standing, the face turning slightly central figure. the present figure similarly does
towards the proper right with gilt-lacquered not exhibit attributes exclusively associated
garments falling in voluminous folds, the with avalokiteshvara, or Guanyin, and the
robe with a foliate pattern and a relief-carved similarities to the spink figure would suggest
scrolling foliate and bead border, the waist- Daoist attribution as well.
tied lower garment with wan and lotus pattern another related figure, exhibited at Ben
and a relief floral border, with pendent beaded Janssens oriental art, 2004, pp. 74-75, with
ornaments and sashes intermingling with the similar treatment of the hands and body,
folds of the fabric, the hair coiled into a topknot and with relief-carved gilt floral borders
with long knotted tresses covered in black decorating the robes in a similar fashion,
lacquer, a rich burgundy lacquer applied to depicts a seated male deity, of similar scale and
the face, bare chest, hands, feet and mala, the proportions to the present figure. the seated
latter complementing the movement of the deity is described as Guandi, a god especially
robes, with gilt-lacquer accents to the face and venerated by the Wanli emperor. many statues
headdress, wood stand (2) of the historical military figure were erected
height 37 in., 94 cm during his reign, and Janssens attributes the
figure to the Wanli period. this sturdy divinity is
the present figure likely belonged to a group
of late ming dynasty large lacquered figures carved facing forward, one hand on his hip, the
of Daoist deities. a similarly decorated figure other holding the central plaque on his belt. as
of the same scale and in a similar stance was he is fully frontal, he is likely the central figure in
exhibited in The Minor Arts of China III, spink a composition of figures, however, similar to the
& son, Ltd., London, 1987, cat. no. 10. the standing female deity figures that might flank
dynamic counter-balance of the slightly turned him, dynamic energy is created with the hands.
face, joined hands holding the rosary, and another related figure, this time of an acolyte,
subtly shifted weight is also present in this was offered at Christie’s new York, 30th may
figure, and would suggest that both the spink 1991, lot 5, and attributed to the late ming
figure and the present figure flanked a central dynasty. the standing figure holds a covered
deity. the spink figure bears a dedicatory vessel in one hand whilst the other is raised.
inscription dating it to the Wanli reign, bingwu the face is turned slightly to the proper left, and
year, first month, corresponding to 1606. the the body position would fit the acolyte nicely
inscription also states that it was commissioned as an outer flanking figure in a composition of
by the Xu family, for the Daoist deity Rigong Daoist deities.
Taiyang Zun Tianbao (star God of the sun
$ 80,000-120,000
明末 木漆金道教仙人立像

258 SOTHEBY’S Important ChInese art