Page 257 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Art Nov 2013 London

235 With scholar’s cap the sage of poetry Du Fu (712-770) holds the
A large bronze incense burner and cover in the reins in one hand and a scroll, symbolising his literary erudition, in the
form of Du Fu other.
Late Ming Dynasty Du Fu is considered to be the greatest of Chinese poets who lived
The vessel cast as a caparisoned mule with long pointed ears and during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a golden age for Chinese
a knotted tail, standing with its head lowered towards the ground, poetry. His poetry was not only praised and enjoyed for its technical
fitted in his back with a detachable cover cast as a bearded scholar brilliance, but also for his moral engagement with current and
in a gown and cap, holding a scroll on his right hand, the vessel with historical events such as the devastating An Lushan rebellion (755-
partial red tint. 763) from which the once mighty Tang would never quite recover. For
50cm (19 2/3in) high (2). this reason, Du Fu is also known as the ‘Poet Historian’.
£10,000 - 15,000 For examples of bronze depictions of Du Fu on muleback, see
HK$120,000 - 190,000 CNY98,000 - 150,000 P.Moss and G. Hawthorn, The Second Bronze Age: Later Chinese
明晚期 銅文人騎驢式蓋爐 Metalwork, London, 1991, number 22.

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