Lot 21. A large and finely modelled Dehua figure of Guanyin, Qing dynasty, early 18th century. Height 45 cm, 17¾ in. Estimate: 40,000 - 60,000 GBP. Lot sold: 50,400 GBP. Courtesy Sotheby's.

finely modelled standing in an elegant posture on a rocky base showing one bare foot, her hands lightly clasped in front holding a rosary, wearing layered robes loosely draped over her shoulders and gathering in voluminous folds over either arm and opening at the chest to reveal an elaborate beaded necklace, the serene face with downcast eyes and a gentle smile framed by a high chignon, the back with an impressed leaf mark reading He Chaozong, covered overall with a creamy-white glaze.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 14th December 1982, lot 210.

Exhibited: Zhongguo mingtao riben xunhui zhan. Gangtai mingjia shoucang taoci jingpin [Exhibition of Famous Chinese Ceramics Touring Japan. Fine Ceramics from Private Hong Kong and Taiwanese Collections], Nihonbashi Takashimaya, Tokyo, 1992, p. 150.

Note: This figure of the bodhisattva Guanyin belongs to a rare group of large porcelain sculptures that bear the mark of He Chaozong. The most prominent master potter in the town of Dehua, in Fuijan province, He is believed to have been active between in the Jiajing (r. 1522-1566) and Wanli (r. 1573-1619) reigns, although some scholars believe him to have been active as early as 1522. He is celebrated as a talented artist, who was able to capture fleeting expressions and gestures in his sculptures. His hand is visible on this piece in the bodhisattva’s graceful pose and undulating robe, the fine articulation of the figure’s hands, and her contemplative and serene expression.

Standing figures of Guanyin with the He Chaozong mark are unusual, although a figure of similar proportions, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (accession no. C.546-1910), is illustrated in Patrick Donnelly, Blanc de Chine, London, 1969, pl. 145A; and another in the Fujian Provincial Museum, was included in the exhibition Dehua Wares, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1990, cat. no. 113. See also a smaller figure, from the collection of E.T Chow, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 19^th May 1981, lot 464, and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30^th November 2016, lot 3324.

Figure of Guanyin, porcelain with white glaze, Dehua, China, 1580-1650, with impressed maker's mark 'He Chaozong yin', Salting Bequest, C.546-1910. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.