13th Oct, 2023 11:00
THREE-DAY AUCTION - Fine Chinese Art / 中國藝術集珍 / Buddhism & Hinduism
657
A LARGE GILT-LACQUERED BRONZE FIGURE OF ZHENWU, THE PERFECTED WARRIOR, MING DYNASTY
明代大型銅漆金真武大帝立像
Sold for €19,500
including Buyer's Premium
China, 1368-1644. Well cast, standing on a rectangular base supported on four spreading feet, his left hand raised in front of his chest and his right holding a sword hilt (the blade now lost), clad in voluminous robes decorated with floral and scroll designs over the characteristic armor. His face with a calm expression marked by heavy-lidded downcast eyes centered by arched brows and a third eye, framed by the neatly incised hair and beard.
Provenance: From a private collection in the United States. The base with an old label, ‘JPC 62 23/C’.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear and casting irregularities, signs of weathering, minor losses, small nicks, the left arm slightly loose, the figure leaning slightly forward, rubbing and losses to lacquer and gilt. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina with malachite encrustations to the base.
Weight: 5,286 g
Dimensions: Height 38.7 cm
Please click here to read the full description
Zhenwu, originally called Xuanwu (Dark Warrior), first appears in the Daoist pantheon as the embodiment of one of the four cardinal directions, representing the north, depicted emblematically as a tortoise entwined with a snake. The tortoise and snake imagery can be traced back to the late Warring States period, circa 3rd century B.C.
In the early Northern Song dynasty, the emperor Song Zhenzong (r. 998-1022) who was an ardent Daoist, decreed that the god’s name should be changed to Zhenwu (Perfected Warrior), and ordered a temple to be built in the Song capital city, Kaifeng, for the worship of Zhenwu, who was then represented in human form. During the Yuan dynasty, Zhenwu was elevated to the rank of celestial emperor and referred to as “Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven, Primal Sage, and Benevolent Majesty.”
In the early Ming dynasty, Zhenwu again was favored by the imperial house, and the early Ming emperor Yongle (r. 1403-1424) ordered the construction of many temples dedicated to Zhenwu, including the large temple which still remains as the northernmost building at the meridian of the ‘Forbidden City’ in Beijing. Zhenwu became one of the most important and most widely venerated of all the Daoist gods during the Ming dynasty and continued to be worshiped by Manchu emperors throughout the Qing dynasty.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 14 May 2019, lot 124
Price: GBP 18,750 or approx. EUR 28,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Zhenwu, 17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, with similar face, hair, and dress, and manner of casting and gilding. Compare the similar subject. Note the seated pose and slightly larger size (44 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3526
Price: HKD 106,250 or approx. EUR 15,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A lacquered bronze figure of Weituo, late Ming/early Qing dynasty, 17th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling with similar armor and manner of casting and gilding. Note the slightly smaller size (36 cm). Note the different subject, which is generally regarded as less rare.
点此阅读中文翻译 (Chinese Translation)
明代大型銅漆金真武大帝立像
中國，1368-1644年。鑄造精良，真武大帝呈立姿，面龐豐腴，雙目微睜，目光下斂，眉毛和鬍鬚濃重，腰板筆直，挺胸抬頭；衣褶婉轉自然，展現出多層次折迭的衣折及立體袖擺，線條簡練生動，內含張力，具有不同凡俗的威儀。鑄造比例勻稱協調，雕刻細膩生動，結構嚴謹。
來源：美國私人收藏，底部老標籤“JPC 62 23/C”。
品相：狀況良好，有磨損和鑄造不規則、風化跡象、輕微損失和小刻痕，左臂略微鬆動，人物稍微向前傾斜，漆金有磨擦和缺損。整像包漿濃厚瑩潤，底部有綠色結殼。
重量：5,286 克
尺寸：高38.7 厘米
拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2019年5月14日，lot 124
價格：GBP 18,750（相當於今日EUR 28,500）
描述：明末清初鎏金銅真武大帝坐像
專家評論：比較非常相近模板，相似的臉部、髮型和長袍、鑄造風格和鎏金。比較相似的主題。請注意坐姿和尺寸較大 (44 厘米)。
拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2014年5月28日，lot 3526
價格：HKD 106,250（相當於今日EUR 15,000）
描述：十七世紀明末至清初鎏金韋駄天銅像
專家評論：比較相近模板、鑄造風格和鎏金。請注意尺寸較小(36 厘米)、不同且較少見的主題。
China, 1368-1644. Well cast, standing on a rectangular base supported on four spreading feet, his left hand raised in front of his chest and his right holding a sword hilt (the blade now lost), clad in voluminous robes decorated with floral and scroll designs over the characteristic armor. His face with a calm expression marked by heavy-lidded downcast eyes centered by arched brows and a third eye, framed by the neatly incised hair and beard.
Provenance: From a private collection in the United States. The base with an old label, ‘JPC 62 23/C’.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear and casting irregularities, signs of weathering, minor losses, small nicks, the left arm slightly loose, the figure leaning slightly forward, rubbing and losses to lacquer and gilt. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina with malachite encrustations to the base.
Weight: 5,286 g
Dimensions: Height 38.7 cm
Please click here to read the full description
Zhenwu, originally called Xuanwu (Dark Warrior), first appears in the Daoist pantheon as the embodiment of one of the four cardinal directions, representing the north, depicted emblematically as a tortoise entwined with a snake. The tortoise and snake imagery can be traced back to the late Warring States period, circa 3rd century B.C.
In the early Northern Song dynasty, the emperor Song Zhenzong (r. 998-1022) who was an ardent Daoist, decreed that the god’s name should be changed to Zhenwu (Perfected Warrior), and ordered a temple to be built in the Song capital city, Kaifeng, for the worship of Zhenwu, who was then represented in human form. During the Yuan dynasty, Zhenwu was elevated to the rank of celestial emperor and referred to as “Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven, Primal Sage, and Benevolent Majesty.”
In the early Ming dynasty, Zhenwu again was favored by the imperial house, and the early Ming emperor Yongle (r. 1403-1424) ordered the construction of many temples dedicated to Zhenwu, including the large temple which still remains as the northernmost building at the meridian of the ‘Forbidden City’ in Beijing. Zhenwu became one of the most important and most widely venerated of all the Daoist gods during the Ming dynasty and continued to be worshiped by Manchu emperors throughout the Qing dynasty.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 14 May 2019, lot 124
Price: GBP 18,750 or approx. EUR 28,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Zhenwu, 17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, with similar face, hair, and dress, and manner of casting and gilding. Compare the similar subject. Note the seated pose and slightly larger size (44 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3526
Price: HKD 106,250 or approx. EUR 15,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A lacquered bronze figure of Weituo, late Ming/early Qing dynasty, 17th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling with similar armor and manner of casting and gilding. Note the slightly smaller size (36 cm). Note the different subject, which is generally regarded as less rare.
点此阅读中文翻译 (Chinese Translation)
明代大型銅漆金真武大帝立像
中國，1368-1644年。鑄造精良，真武大帝呈立姿，面龐豐腴，雙目微睜，目光下斂，眉毛和鬍鬚濃重，腰板筆直，挺胸抬頭；衣褶婉轉自然，展現出多層次折迭的衣折及立體袖擺，線條簡練生動，內含張力，具有不同凡俗的威儀。鑄造比例勻稱協調，雕刻細膩生動，結構嚴謹。
來源：美國私人收藏，底部老標籤“JPC 62 23/C”。
品相：狀況良好，有磨損和鑄造不規則、風化跡象、輕微損失和小刻痕，左臂略微鬆動，人物稍微向前傾斜，漆金有磨擦和缺損。整像包漿濃厚瑩潤，底部有綠色結殼。
重量：5,286 克
尺寸：高38.7 厘米
拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2019年5月14日，lot 124
價格：GBP 18,750（相當於今日EUR 28,500）
描述：明末清初鎏金銅真武大帝坐像
專家評論：比較非常相近模板，相似的臉部、髮型和長袍、鑄造風格和鎏金。比較相似的主題。請注意坐姿和尺寸較大 (44 厘米)。
拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2014年5月28日，lot 3526
價格：HKD 106,250（相當於今日EUR 15,000）
描述：十七世紀明末至清初鎏金韋駄天銅像
專家評論：比較相近模板、鑄造風格和鎏金。請注意尺寸較小(36 厘米)、不同且較少見的主題。
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