Page 58 - Bonhams Chinese Art March 2016 New York

8076
A LARGE BLANC DE CHINE FIGURE OF GUANYIN
19th/early 20th century, two Xu Yunlin seal marks and one Dehua seal mark
The impressive figure modeled with a calm face and downcast eyes, the hair simply parted and
tied in knots falling over the shoulders, the right hand clasping a long-stemmed lotus with crisply
modeled petals and the left holding out a scroll in front of the chest embellished with delicate
strands of Buddhist jewelry, the long robe gathered at the waist and flowing down to reveal one
foot standing on a lotus blossom above swirling waves mingled with lotus stems and leaves, the
back impressed with two Xu Yunlin seals and one Dehua seal within a double gourd.
32in (81.3cm) high
$50,000 - 80,000
十九世紀或二十世紀早期 德化觀音站像 《徐雲麟》《德化》款
The present lot is a remarkable feat of craftsmanship, imposing in scale and meticulous
in presentation. Bearing the mark of the potter Xu Yunlin, the piece exhibits the typical
characteristics attributed by P. J. Donnelly to the Xu family, namely “great elaboration of detail,
light construction, uniform milk-white glaze”: see P. J. Donnelly, Blanc de Chine: The Porcelain
of Tehua in Fukien, New York, 1969, pp. 280-1. The author also notes the preference of Xu
Yunlin to use the Dehua kiln mark on figures.
A related figure of Guanyin is illustrated by Donnelly, ibid., Fig. 157, although the present lot is
nearly twice as tall as the published example, and is more elaborately bejeweled and robed,
befitting such an ambitious commission.
Although he was considered by Donnelly to be a late 18th century potter, Xu Yunlin’s works
have subsequently been revised as dating from the late Qing to early 20th century by J. Ayers:
see Blanc de Chine: Divine Images in Porcelain, New York, 2002.
A pair of large blanc de chine figures, with Xu Yunlin marks, riding a lion and an elephant sold
at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8 April 2013, sale HK0461, lot 3196.

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