4. M5213
£32,500
Description
Large Chinese Blanc de Chine group of a standing Guanyin and attendant, the Guanyin with a serene face looking down at a scroll in her hand, while her other hand is tucked inside her long flowing robes, wearing a beaded necklace which drapes down towards her feet with her toes exposed, wearing a high cowl tucked behind a raised tiara with a seated figure, her hair neatly tied and incised, all beside an attendant holding a book in one hand, with his other hand draped inside his sleeve, his head also graciously turning towards her, all standing on a pierced rockwork base.
Dehua, Fujian Province.
Wood stand, carved as rockwork.
Ming dynasty, circa 1630
11 1⁄2 inches, 29.2 cm high without stand; 13 1⁄4 inches, 33.6 cm total height with stand
Condition
Attendant’s thumb and two fingertips, Guanyin’s forefinger and fourth fingertip and front tip of scroll restored, seven bead tips retouched, front lower edge of base flakes retouched and flake on back of base retouched, natural glaze cracks on the front and back of Guanyin consolidated, lower inner robe chip polished on Guanyin.
Provenance & Additional Information
- From the collection of Richard Hultmark (1867-1935).
Member of the China Committee, First Counselor and Judge, brother of Emil and David Hultmark who also collected Chinese ceramics and works of art, all were members of ‘Kinaklubben’ (China Club) in Stockholm in the 1920’s together with Carl Kempe (1884-1967) and the Crown Prince Gustav Adolf.
- Sold by Bukowskis in their auction of The Collection of Richard Hultmark, 26th & 27th February 1936, lot 202, purchased by Jägmästare Hultmark, thence by descent within the family.
- Groups of standing Guanyin and attendant of this particularly high quality type and dating from the Ming dynasty are particularly rare. The Guanyin is very reminiscent of the work of He Chaozong considered the finest of Dehua potters. A relating standing Guanyin with He Chaozong mark from the collection of Edward T. Chow was included by Marchant in their exhibition of Blanc de Chine, 1994, no. 3, pp. 18/9.
Very few Ming examples with attendant are recorded. Another from an old French collection was included by Marchant in their exhibition of Blanc de Chine, 2014, no. 21, pp. 44/5; and another by Sotheby’s London in their auction of Fine Chinese Export Porcelain, 23rd June 1981, lot 268, pp. 92/3.
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