A large gilt-bronze figure of the King of Medicine, Yaowang, 16th-17th century
Lot 114. A large gilt-bronze figure of the King of Medicine, Yaowang, 16th-17th century. Estimate £25,000 - 35,000. Sold for £35,000 (€41,377). Photo: Bonhams.
Note: The present figure appears to be a rare portrayal of Sun Simiao 孫思邈 (AD 581-682), a physician of the Sui/early Tang dynasties, reputed to have served the Tang emperor Taizong. He is typically portrayed holding a double-gourd medicine jar.
Sun Simiao was acclaimed for his significant contribution to the development of Chinese medicine, in particular the compilation of the Beiji Qianjin Yaofang 《備急千金要方》, the first medical encyclopedia in China, in AD 652. He was later deified in the Daoist pantheon, revered as the King of Medicine and as a protective guardian of health in Chinese popular religion.
The double gourd, or hulu (葫蘆), is a close homophone for fulu (福祿), or 'good fortune and prosperity'. According to Daoist beliefs, the double gourd is perceived to contain a micro-universe where Immortals dwell for eternity, thus it is associated with wishes for longevity.
Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, 11 May 2017, 11:00 BST, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET