Lot 118
  • 118

A PAIR OF PAINTED POTTERY FIGURES OF WARRIORS NORTHERN WEI DYNASTY |

Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 USD
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Description

  • Height 12 1/2  in., 31.1 cm
each modeled in the round, standing at attention with one arm by the side and one resting on a long shield molded with a scowling monster mask, the face echoing this expression with a similar downturned mouth, furrowed brows and with a dark curly beard, attired in armor, a tunic with two breastplates, a helmet cap covering the ears and neck, all detailed in red and black pigment (2)

Provenance

Warren E. Cox, New York.
Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d.1978).

Condition

One figure with a restored break encircling the mid-section and smaller restored and consolidated breaks around the base and feet. The other with restored and consolidated breaks to the lower section of the body, including restoration of the lower right arm and hand.. Both with expected wear to the surface overall including minor losses.
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.

Catalogue Note

With their fierce scowls, the present warrior figures would have guarded the tombs of the elite, along with a plethora of other figures and objects deemed necessary for the afterlife. Despite their intimidating expressions, they epitomize the attenuated style of Northern Wei sculpture, seen through their upright frontal stance and slender, columnar figures. The low relief modeling, found particularly in pottery of this period, is accented by details such as the subtle curl of the beard, the upturned nose or the similarly expressive monster mask on the shields.  A closely related figure was exhibited at The China Institute of America, Art of the Six Dynasties, New York, 1975, cat. no. 27, and later sold in these rooms 2nd November 1979, lot 149. Compare a similar example illustrated in Foreigners in Chinese Art, The China Institute of America, New York, 1969, cat. no. 46, and one sold in our London rooms, 11th March 1969, lot 72. See also a figure with slightly different dress and missing its octagonal shield, illustrated in Into the Afterlife: Han and Six Dynasties Chinese Tomb Sculpture from the Schloss collection, Vassar College Art Museum, Poughkeepsie, 1990, cat. no. 38.