Page 136 - Sotheby's Chinese Ceramics Nov 30 2017 Hong Kong

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PROPERTY FROM A HONG KONG PRIVATE FAMILY Finely cast as a Daoist immortal wearing long robes
COLLECTION sumptuously decorated with Daoist symbols, this figure
A LARGE GILT-LACQUERED BRONZE FIGURE is notable for its impressive size which together with the
OF A DAOIST IMMORTAL traces of gilt lacquer, hint at its original splendour. While its
identification can only be speculated, the figure’s court attire,
17TH CENTURY
rectangular pendant around the neck and tall court hat are
possibly depicting Wenchang Wang, cast seated on a indicative of his elevated position in the Daoist pantheon. It
chamfered pedestal with the hands folded before the chest, may depict Wenchang Wang, also known as Wenchang dijun,
the Daoist god of Culture and Literature, who is often depicted
wearing loose robes engraved with dragons, the shoulders
holding a ruyi-sceptre or a tablet.
similarly decorated with roundels enclosing the sun and
the moon respectively, the bearded face with a benevolent The robe, ruyi-toed shoes, dragon design and lock pendant
expression flanked by long pendulous ears, crowned by a tall may be linked to a particular style of court dress that evolved
official hat decorated with mountain and waves from the Song dynasty through the Ming period, and was also
84 cm, 33⅛ in. worn by high-ranking figures in the Daoist pantheon.
PROVENANCE Daoism flourished in the Ming dynasty under the Jiajing and
Wanli Emperors, who were fervent supporters of Daoist
Christie’s London, 15th June 1998, lot 107.
practices promising the attainment of immortality. During the
HK$ 200,000-300,000 sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, numerous bronze
US$ 25,700-38,500 figures of Daoist deities were cast under imperial patronage or
commissioned by wealthy families.
十七世紀 漆金銅道教仙真坐像 A closely related figure was sold in our London rooms, 24th
July 1973, lot 154; and one wearing a slightly different hat
來源： and holding a tablet, was sold in these rooms, 8th October
倫敦佳士得1998年6月15日，編號107 2006, lot 1158. See also a smaller example sold in our New
York rooms, 28th February 1980, lot 5; one sold in our London
rooms, 30th October 1987, lot 416; another sold at Christie’s
London, 12th June 1989, lot 96; and one inscribed with a
cyclical date corresponding to 1567, sold in our London rooms,
16th November 1971, lot 23.

134 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比