Provenance
The David A. Berg Collection.
The collection of the Harvard University Art Museum.
Ralph Chait Galleries, New York, with their label to the base.
S. Marchant & Son, London, with their label to the base.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above in 2001. (see added scan)
Description
Finely modelled as He Xiangu (Ho Hsien-ku), the only female member of the Daoist Eight Immortals, standing gracefully upon a rectangular pedestal decorated with pendent lappets and floral panels. She is depicted wearing long flowing robes painted in underglaze blue with elaborate pearl-and-cash motifs, the upper garment centred by a large medallion enclosing a bird amidst scrolling foliage. Her hands are clasped before her chest holding a flowering lotus stem, while her hair is arranged in an elaborate coiffure secured with ornamental hairpins. The serene facial features and elegant posture are rendered with remarkable refinement, characteristic of the finest Ming porcelain sculpture.
He Xiangu was revered as a patroness of domestic harmony, health and longevity. According to Daoist tradition, she attained immortality after consuming a supernatural peach and thereafter subsisted upon moonbeams and powdered mother-of-pearl. She is most commonly identified by the lotus blossom, an emblem of purity and spiritual transcendence, which she carries in her hands. For a discussion of her attributes and iconography, see C. A. S. Williams, 'Outlines of Chinese Symbolism and Art Motives', 1932, p. 154.
Lot 20
Jiajing
H.: 23,1 cm
Estimation
€ 8.000,00 – € 12.000,00
Provenance
The David A. Berg Collection.
The collection of the Harvard University Art Museum.
Ralph Chait Galleries, New York, with their label to the base.
S. Marchant & Son, London, with their label to the base.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above in 2001. (see added scan)