Page 131 - Fine Chinese, Japanese and Buddhist Art September 28, 2018 Galerie Zacke

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AN IMPORTANT TANG DYNASTY TERRACOTTA STATUE OF A
ZHENMUSHOU
Terracotta with remains of cold paint in red, white and black hues
China
Tang dynasty (618-907)
TL Test confirms the dating (see further down below)

This powerful and impressively crafted sculpture depicts an
animalistic tomb guardian known by the name Zhenmushou.
The Chinese name Zhenmushou (捖 ⠻ 䌠) is composed of the
characters Shou, which signifies a beast or magical creature, Mu,
which signifies the grave and, Zhen, the guardian.

This sculpture portrays the guardian animal sitting with outspread
claws on an angularly cut, rocky pedestal. A carnivorous set of
teeth, bulging eyes which fixate its opponent and eyebrows that
are wavy and with volutes at their ends, all enhance the ferocious
appearance of the guardian. His perked ears are pointed as are the
tips of his beard and his mane that is rendered in the form of large
flanges to the sides of his head.

Rich remains of the original cold paint on top of an entirely white
foundation are preserved; presumably the only colors were white,
black and a bright red, with the colors intended to have an extremely
bright effect, since it was completely dark inside the grave.

Shape: Figural
Dimensions: 50 cm (height), 32 cm (maximum width)
Weight: 15,7 kilograms
Condition: Excellent optical appearance; as customary with Tang
Dynasty terracotta excavations, this piece has been reassembled in
some areas with slight traces such as hairlines remaining visible
Provenance: From an old Austrian private collection

Scientific testing: The Institute for Preservation Sciences at the
University for Applied Arts in Vienna has confirmed the guardian’s
age, listed above, using thermoluminescence dating.
Auction result comparison: Christie’s, The Exceptional Sale, New
York, 20 April 2018, lot 8. (for a magnificent pair of Zehmmushou,
larger in size and entirely cold painted)
Ⓒẋ⼑丒昞䒟捖⠻䌠⁷
䲭䘥湹ᶱ刚⼑丒昞䒟
ᷕ⚳炻Ⓒẋ(618-907)
䴻䅙慳⃱㷔⸜㱽 (娛夳㛓㭝妋慳)
捖⠻䌠炻栏⎵⿅佑炻䓐ẍ槭↞彇恒炻ẍỹ嬟䣾⃰ṉ櫪ᷳ⬱⮏炻㬌⢾炻⍰
㚱㶣䤧䘬シ⿅炻㇨媪ˬ⣑ᷳ䤧䯵炻攟䳪㰅幓˭炻ⶴ㛃Ἦᶾ两临ṓ⍿⭴
屜㥖厗ˤ
忁⮲捖⠻䌠⛸⛐ⱑ䞛➢⹏ᶲ炻䡑⣏䘬暁儛ⷞ㚱扺⇑䘬䇒⫸炻↞䄆䘬⣏
䛤㏕惵扛⇑䘬⮾䈁炻槭徸ᶵ忇ᷳ⭊炻⬰嬟ṉ櫪ᷳ⬱⮏ˤ

䘥刚➢⸽ᶲ䘬⅟刚ᾅ⬀䉨㱩列⤥炻⎰䎮㍐㕟⍇刚䁢䘥ˣ湹⍲Ṗ䲭炻⚈
䁢㓦伖㕤⛐㺮湹䘬⠻ℏ炻ὧἧ䓐歖㖶刚⼑≈⻟Ṗ⹎ˤ

⼊䉨烉捖⠻䌠⼊
⯢⮠烉50⍀䰛(檀)炻32⍀䰛(㚨⣏⮔⹎)
慵慷烉15.7℔㕌
⑩䚠列⤥炻⯨悐ᾖ墄炻㚱⎗夳䳘⮷塪䲳ˤ
⤏⛘⇑䥩Ṣ侩㓞啷
䅙慳⃱㷔㩊⭂烉䵕ḇ䲵ⶍ喅伶埻⣏⬠㔯䈑ᾖ⽑⬠昊ἧ䓐䅙慳⃱㷔⸜
㱽㩊㷔炻㍐㕟℞䁢⸜ẋ䁢Ⓒẋ㗪㛇ˤ
䚠Ụ㉵⑩烉⎎ᶨ⮵庫⣏✳ᶼ厗渿晬῱䘬捖⠻䌠炻夳Ἓ⢓⼿˪䈡㬲⑩㉵
岋˫炻䲸䲬炻2018⸜4㚰20㖍炻䶐嘇8ˤ
EstimateġEUR 3.000,-
Starting price EUR 1.500,-

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