A SMALL GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF ZHOU CANG MING DYNASTY

cast standing upright on a lacquered plinth, the left hand posed to hold Guan Yu's halbert, wearing armor beneath a surcoat, the garments with finely chased details

When Guan Yu was deified, Zhou Cang was depicted as one of his attendants, holding Guan's weapon, while Guan Yu's adopted son Guan Ping held the seal. This has been standard iconography since at least the Ming dynasty. See for example, an Imperial thangka of Guan Yu sold in our Paris rooms, 18th December 2012, lot 28.