A GILT-GROUND GU FAMILY EMBROIDERED ‘GUANDI’ PANEL LATE 16TH / EARLY 17TH CENTURY

depicting Guandi attended by Zhou Cang wielding a halberd, with a short poem inscribed in ink at the top center, against a later-added gilt ground

Collection of Dr. Richard Stockton, Father Arsenius (1929-2011), acquired in China in the 1950s, bequeathed to the Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, Massachusetts.

Embroidery threads thin and discolored, with losses most noticeable in red seal and figures' garments. The later-added gilt ground with flakes, creases and cracks throughout.
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.

Based in Shanghai in the Ming dynasty, the Gu family was renowned for its embroidery work and use of exceptionally fine threads, innovating new techniques and stitches for xiuhua, ‘embroidered paintings’ such as the present example. Their work was acclaimed by late Ming scholars including Dong Qichang (1555-1636), who wrote a colophon on the album 'Flowers and Fishes' (1641) by Han Ximeng, a member of the Gu family.