A 'DEHUA' FIGURE OF BUDDHA REPUBLIC PERIOD, ATTRIBUTED TO XU YOUYI

modeled standing on a lotus base, wearing long flowing robes draped about the shoulders and open at the chest revealing a swastika, one hand holding a 'pearl', the other in varada mudra, the facial features finely formed depicting a serene expression, the hair with tightly curled whorls covering the domed ushnisha, all under a warm milky glaze, impressed to the reverse with a double-gourd Dehua seal and a square seal reading Xu Yunlin zhi, wood base (2)

Blanc de Chine: Divine Images in Porcelain, China Institute Gallery, New York, 2002, cat. no. 72.

Liu Youzheng, Zhongguo Dehua Baici Yanjiu / Blanc de Chine, Beijing, 2007, col. pl. 22.

The base with three visible firing cracks. Three fingers of the raised hand broken and repaired. The body with multiple hairline cracks likely from the original firing, scattered minor firing imperfections, and one minor flake chip at the edge of the robe.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The square seal Xu Yunlin zhi belongs to Xu Youyi (1887-1940), the principal follower, pupil and associate of the master Dehua potter Su Xuejin (1869-1919). According to John Ayers in the catalogue to the exhibition Blanc de Chine: Divine Images in Porcelain, China Institute Gallery, New York, 2002, p. 121, Xu Youyi, previously considered to be an eighteenth century potter, came from a family of carvers of wood and clay images. His pieces are characterized by elaborate details and a consistent milky-white glaze. For a similar example by the same potter but with jewelry, see P.J. Donnelly, Blanc de Chine, London, 1969, pl. 156. See two large figures of Samantabhadra and Manjusri, from the collection of E.E. and M.C. Schwarz, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 13th April 2013, lot 3196; and a standing Buddha figure in a similar pose, signed Xu Yuyuan zhi and Xu Yunlin zhi, also sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th October 2012, lot 3107.