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A
GLAZED TILE-WORK FIGURE OF AN OFFICIAL
China, Ming dynasty
circa 1485 AD
This life-sized figure represents an important court
official of the Ming dynasty. Constructed in two
separate parts, and divided at the waist, the figure
is portrayed seated on a horse shoe back chair.
His right hand rest upon his right thigh - his left
hand upon the arm of the seat.
The official is wearing a yellow mang which is a
four-clawed dragon robe worn by members of the nobility
in the Ming period - as well as by top ranking court
officials. The dragons on the design are glazed
in turquoise against a background of clouds glazed
in green, aubergine, white and black. A pair of
shoes, with curled toes, stick out from beneath
the robe; these are glazed black and green matching
the trim on the figure's robe.
The official's face, neck and hands have been left
unglazed with the exception of his eyes which are
glazed black - adding a life-like quality to the
statue. The hair has been brushed back and up, then
held in place by a hat with a design of coloured
ridges. This headgear is also an indicator of rank;
the larger the number of blue ridges - the higher
the rank, with the maximum being eight.
The tile-work sculpture sits on an eighteenth century
carved hardwood stand.
Height with carved stand: 61¾" / 157cm
Height of tile-work figure alone: 51¼" / 130 cm
Provenance: The Collection
of Paul Houo-Ming-Tse.
Published: 'Preuves des Antiquites de Chine par
Paul Houo-Ming-Tse, Proprietaire de la Ta-Kou-Tchai,
Pekin 1930' plate V, and on page 638. Also, catalogue
for the Hotel Drouot sale of the Paul Houo-Ming-Tse
Collection held in Paris in 1932, plate 50.
Similar example: 'Understanding Far Eastern Art'
by Julia Hutt, Oxford 1987, page 107 - from the
Burrell Collection, Glasgow. The face of the illustrated
figure (dated 1484) is modelled in very similar
fashion to the official.
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