A WHITE AND DARK BROWN GLAZED STONEWARE FIGURE OF AN OFFICIAL, YUAN DYNASTY
Lot 123 - SING0925

China, Hebei province, 1279-1368. Schematically potted, the official shown in a squatting posture, dressed in voluminous robes, with the right arm resting on his knee and the corresponding hand placed upon his prominent belly. His hunched shoulders framing a highly stylized head marked by two round eyes beneath heavy brows and with a thick beard, all surmounted by a distinctive headdress. These elements highlighted by a dark brown glaze, also applied to the edges of his robe and the shoes peeking out beneath it, which stand out against the creamy-white, finely crackled glaze covering the remainder of the figure, save for the unglazed base. The figure pierced with two holes at the back of the shoulders for suspension.

Provenance: Fai Kei Ferros Velhos, Macao, 1998. Collection of Dr. Koos de Jong, acquired from the above. A Dutch art historian and collector, Dr. Koos de Jong has worked across several cultural institutions in the Netherlands from 1976, serving as the director of the European Ceramic Work Center in Den Bosch between 1999-2009, before retiring in 2009. He has authored hundreds of articles and several books on Dutch fine and decorative arts from the Middle Ages to the modern era. His scholarly interests expanded to Chinese material culture, culminating in the 2013 publication of Dragon & Horse: Saddle Rugs and Other Horse Tack from China and Beyond, a pioneering study on Chinese equestrian gear. Continuing this line of inquiry, his more recent book published in 2021, Small China: Early Chinese Miniatures, explores the largely overlooked world of Chinese miniature objects, combining archaeological research with art historical insight.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear and firing irregularities including pitting, dark spots, glaze recesses, crackling, and firing cracks. Scattered fritting, some flaking to the glaze, minor nibbling, and small losses near the foot.

Weight: 94.6 g
Dimensions: Height 7.5 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare a related white and dark brown glazed stoneware figure of a servant holding a duck, China, Yuan dynasty, dated late 13th-14th century, 5.5 cm high, in the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, accession number S2012.9.3676.