A LARGE IMPERIALLY DATED GILT-BRONZE ATTENDANT FIGURE MING DYNASTY, CHONGZHENG PERIOD, 1641

the figure standing holding a foliate-shaped dish in both hands, wearing a triangular-shaped hat and long flowing robe, the hem chased and engraved with ruyi and foliate scrolls, the face with a serene expression, all supported on a rectangular pedestal base

Formerly in the Vienese private collection of Anton Exner (1882-1952).

This large gilt-bronze figure is in very good condition with the exception of some rubbing to the gilding, predominantly to the left and right sides and back of the robe, and loss to the detachable section of the hairpiece.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The inscription on this figure reads and can be translated as follows:

Da Ming Chongzhen xinsi nian qian ming Yuyong Jian gong zao.
Made by the order of the Directorate for Imperial Accouterments in the xinsi year (corresponding to 1641 AD) in the reign of the Chongzhen emperor of the Ming dynasty.

The Directorate for Imperial Accouterments was one of the major directorates during the Ming dynasty responsible for overseeing the production of objects for the Emperor's use. Chinese sculptures are rarely signed or dated, making the present elegant figure of an attendant a remarkable and rare example.

In its iconography this figure is closely linked to Daoist images found on Ming dynasty paintings; for example see a hanging scroll titled The Purple Tenuity Emperor of the North Pole and Attendant, from the Baoning Temple in Youyu county, Shanxi province, illustrated in Stephen Little, Taoism and the Arts of China, Chicago, 2000, pl. 76, which depicts a Daoist attendant holding a tray with a flower basket and wearing a cloth-like headdress covering his topknot.

The special headdress seen on this figure is worth noting. As iconographic images of Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism in China were often inter-changed, a similarly shaped headdress can be found on a Buddhist sculpture of the 17^th century sold in these rooms, 1/2^nd November 1984, lot 352.  

Attendant figures were more commonly made in pottery that were buried in tombs. See a pair (height 81 cm) sold in our New York rooms, 3^rd June 1992, lot 213; and another pair of attendants, excavated at Changzhi, Shanxi province, included in the exhibition Urban Life in the Song, Yuan and Ming, Empress Palace Museum, Singapore, 1994, cat. no. 38f.