14 | A BRONZE FIGURE OF GUANYIN, INLAID WITH SILVER WIRE AND RESTING ON A CARVED ZITAN STAND Signed Shih-sou 16th/17th century AD Chinese The bodhisattva sits in lila asana, and looks down with a very finely modelled expression of contentment and peace. In her left hand she holds a scroll. She is dressed in a voluminous robe trimmed with a scrolling decoration in silver wire; the chest is left exposed and unadorned. Her hair is swept up, knotted above her head, and held in place by a half exposed ruyi crown; a silver nugget marks the urna.A two character signature is inlaid in silver wire and placed in the middle of the back. The Zitan wood stand is contemporary with the bronze and carved with four rows of lotus petals divided by a beaded waist. The top surface is decorated with an all over octagonal design centred by a flower, and each octagon surrounds a swastika of diamond form. Height of bronze: 7 ¼", 18.5cm. Height with wood stand: 9 7/8", 25cm. Shih-sou was a late Ming dynasty monk and details relating to him are almost non-existent. The technique that he perfected was the inlay of fine silver wire into a highly finished and darkly patinated bronze surface. This was first practised in China during the Warring States period and continued thereafter - with particular revivals during the Song and post Song vogues for archaism. The work of Shih-sou and his followers is distinctive - in that the figurative subjects bear a strong resemblance to Te-hua ceramics, and also include a number of scholar's taste items. The question of attribution to the master is not really possible as his signature has been taken in vain ever since the 16th century - including very poor examples in his style. This piece, however, is of the very highest quality - both in the silver inlay and the modelling of the figure - and this is complemented by the carved zitan stand.