A FINE COLLECTION OF EIGHTEEN QINGBAI FIGURES, SONG DYNASTY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve

Published:
1. Jean-Paul Desroches (ed.) et al, Two Americans in Paris. A Quest for Asian Art, Paris, 2016, p. 165, no. 276.
2. Jean-Paul Desroches (ed.) et al, The Beginning of the World. Dragons, Phoenix and Other Chimera, Fondation Baur, Geneva, 2020, p. 242-243, nos. 168-169 (the zodiac figures).

Exhibited:
1. Pointe-à-Callière Museum, From the Lands of Asia. The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Montréal, 17 November 2016-19 March 2017.
2. Kimbell Art Museum, From the Lands of Asia. The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Fort Worth, Texas, 4 March-19 August 2018.
3. Fondation Baur, The Beginning of the World – According to the Chinese. Dragons, Phoenix and Other Chimera, Geneva, 11 November 2020-23 May 2021 (the zodiac figures).
4. Musée Départemental des Arts Asiatiques, The Beginning of the World – According to the Chinese. Dragons, Phoenix and Other Chimera, Nice, Summer 2021 (the zodiac figures).

China, 960-1279. Comprising four courtiers, each with a differently styled beard, dressed in voluminous robes, and clutching a tablet (gui) to their chest; four zodiac figures, each wearing a tall crown, the face with a stern expression, and the chest centered by a different animal, the dragon, snake, monkey, or rooster; four smaller zodiac figures of a dragon, horse, goat, and dog, modeled as a human figure standing ramrod straight with hands clasped beneath the long sleeves of court robes; one attendant crouching low as he presses his forehead to a gui; a conjoined mythical beast with two human heads on either side; a figure of Li Tieguai resting against his crutch; a figure of Weituo dressed in full regalia; and model of a sinuous dragon; and another of a crouching tiger. (18)

Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear and manufacturing irregularities including firing cracks, dark spots, and glaze recesses. Scattered small chips and tiny losses, all as expected.

Weight: 51.3 g (the smallest), 279.2 g (the largest)
Dimensions: Height 4 cm (the smallest), 18.4 cm (the largest)

Zodiac figures first appeared during the Han dynasty as artisans began casting representations of the animals in bronze as offerings. From the Northern Wei dynasty onwards, the zodiacal animals began to be anthropomorphized, as seen on several examples in the present lot.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 26 August 2021, lot 1024
Price: HKD 40,320 or approx. EUR 4,700 (for two) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Two Qingbai figures of courtiers, Southern Song dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, expression, glaze, and similar stance clutching a gui tablet. Note the size (18.6 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 7 December 2021, lot 3252
Price: HKD 21,250 or approx. EUR 2,500 (for one) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Qingbai zodiac ‘Ox’ figure, Song dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, expression, swaddled robe, and related ox head to the chest. Note the size (20.5 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams London, 28-29 July 2020, lot 116
Price: GBP 4,812.5 or approx. EUR 7,600 (for two) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A qingbai model of a lady and a qingbai warrior, Song-Yuan Dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling of the warrior to that of Weituo in the current lot. Note the size (19.2 cm).