6 | BRONZE SEATED FIGURE Late Ming dynasty, 17th century Height: 23 cm | 9 in Click image for full-size version Representing a scholar official, this finely cast figure is seated on a yoke back armchair – his two feet resting on a footstool with bracket feet and a shaped apron. He is dressed in a long robe with voluminous sleeves, and his head is covered by a close fitting cap. His legs are hidden beneath the robe, but his hands are visible – the left one clasping an armrest, the other hand resting in his lap. The facial features are executed with great refinement – depicting high cheekbones, moustache, downcast eyes, and a smiling reflective expression. The curved back splat on the reverse of the armchair is cast with a ten-character inscription: Wanli ding wei wushen renwu bingwu. This refers to four separate dates in the Wanli period: ding wei 1607, wu shen 1608, ren wu 1582 and bing wu 1606. It is likely that this figure is an ancestor portrait, and probable that these years had special significance in the portrayed man’s life. Provenance: Doris Duke