A large and rare inscribed bronze figure of Guanyin, Ming dynasty

Collection of Bernice Richard.

Christie's New York, 23rd March 1995, lot 245.

This elegant figure is typical of the high quality of bronze craftsmanship found towards the end of the Ming dynasty. Sometimes called China's 'Second Bronze Age,' the mid- and late Ming saw a revival of bronze production at a scale not seen since the earliest dynasties. This period is perhaps best known for its archaistic ritual vessels and its sculptures of subtle delicate forms. The latter, of which the present lot is a prime example, were often based on contemporaneous designs in ivory or the white porcelain produced in Dehua and have a subtle, unadorned elegance to them.

Of this group, perhaps the most frequent subject matter is the bodhisattva Guanyin. Rendered in the Chinese tradition in female form with flowing robes, detailed jewelry and scroll in hand, figures of Guanyin provide the perfect opportunity to highlight the skill of the artist who would frequently sign their work. Interestingly, although the present piece reflects the exceptional workmanship found on Guanyin figures of the period, it differs somewhat stylistically from other prototypes in porcelain and ivory, featuring the high collar and layered garments of a female elite in place of more typical stylized robes. 

Though the identity of the artist Wennan has been lost to history, a number of comparable pieces from the period bear the same or similar signature. Compare a large standing Buddha, with similar flowing robes and a 'Wennan' mark, in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Gugong jingdian: Gugong diaosu tudian / Classics of the Forbidden City: Sculptures in the Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2014, no. 225; also compare a small emaciated luohan of more crude design with a 'Wennan' mark from the stock of Roger Keverne Ltd., sold at Bonhams London, 11th May 2021, lot 212. For closely related bronze figures of Guanyin of a more conventional style, compare those bearing the famous 'Shishou' mark such as one from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2014, lot 207.