A 'DEHUA' FIGURE OF GUANYIN LATE MING DYNASTY, ATTRIBUTED TO HUIJIANG SHANREN

the standing bodhisattva with finely modeled hands joined in front of loose robes opened to reveal a beaded necklace, a cowl draped over the high chignon secured by a scrolling trefoil ornament above the serene face with downcast gaze, all supported on a base of scrolling clouds, the back with an impressed Huijiang Shanren square seal mark

Having firing flaws including firing cracks throughout: a large firing crack to the base, as visible, and another, less visible, to the back. The interior with a network of firing cracks, and chips around the base from the original firing. Old repairs to the hands and one toe, and a chip to another toe point.
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.

Robert Blumenfield discusses this late Ming dynasty potter in Robert H. Blumenfield, Blanc de Chine: The Great Porcelain of Dehua, Berkeley, 2002, p. 139 and notes that the 'Hermit of the Hui River' excelled at sculpting Buddhist figures. A seated Guanyin figure with a similar mark is illustrated in P.J. Donnelly, Blanc de Chine, London, 1969, pl. 82A. Donnelly places the potter in the second half of the seventeenth century, ibid. p. 283. A figure of Damo with similar seal mark was sold in our London rooms, 5th November 2008, lot 335.