£4,000 - £6,000
A BLANC DE CHINE FIGURE OF ZHENWU
1ST HALF OF THE 17TH CENTURY
德化真武大帝像 17世紀
sometimes referred to as Perfect Warrior, Dark Lord of the Northern Quadrant, this warlike figure is seated on a rocky throne with his left arm raised in a gesture of deterrence – whilst a snake and the head of a tortoise project from the rocks below. He wears chest and thigh armour under his robe with a cap on his head whilst characteristic long hair falls to his shoulders.
23.5cm high
NOTE: One of the most important gods of the Ming dynasty and considered a special patron deity of the Ming imperial family, in particular the Yongle emperor (r. 1403-24), who credited the god for his ascension to the throne and undertook massive temple construction projects on Wudang Shan in Hubei province, the mountain sacred to the deity. The Qing imperial family also honoured the Perfected Warrior and a temple dedicated to him still stands at the northernmost hall along the central axis of the Forbidden City.
PROVENANCE: The Anthony Lovett Collection. Acquired from Lawrence’s Auctioneers of Crewkerne, Somerset, 3 November 2005, Lot 624.
RELATED EXAMPLE: An example of this model is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, Accession No: 79.2.481
A similar example can be seen in "Blanc De Chine: Divine Images in Porcelain" by John Ayers, China Institute Gallery, New York, 2002, Item No 41, Page 90.
The left hand has been replaced. Repair to the head of the serpent and the head of the tortoise has been reattached.
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