Page 25 - Bonhams May 11th 2017 London Fine Chinese Art

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A LARGE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF THE KING
OF MEDICINE, YAOWANG
16th/17th century
Finely cast with a long beard and serene downcast
gaze beneath an official cap, seated with his right
hand resting on his knee, his left hand carrying a
gourd, clad in long flowing robes incised with a
five-clawed dragon medallion to the chest, another
dragon medallion chasing a flaming pearl to the
back, ruyi-cloud hems.
34.8cm (13 3/4in) high (2).

£25,000 - 35,000
CNY220,000 - 300,000

十六/十七世紀 銅鎏金藥王孫思邈坐像
The present figure appears to be a rare portrayal of
Sun Simiao 孫思邈 (AD 581-682), a physician of the
Sui/early Tang dynasties, reputed to have served
the Tang emperor Taizong. He is typically portrayed
holding a double-gourd medicine jar.
Sun Simiao was acclaimed for his significant
contribution to the development of Chinese
medicine, in particular the compilation of the Beiji
Qianjin Yaofang 《備急千金要方》, the first medical
encyclopedia in China, in AD 652. He was later
deified in the Daoist pantheon, revered as the King
of Medicine and as a protective guardian of health in
Chinese popular religion.
The double gourd, or hulu (葫蘆), is a close
homophone for fulu (福祿), or ‘good fortune and
prosperity’. According to Daoist beliefs, the double
gourd is perceived to contain a micro-universe
where Immortals dwell for eternity, thus it is
associated with wishes for longevity.

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please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.