CHINA / 5000 YEARS
CHINA / 5000 YEARS
An extremely rare large bronze figure of Xiwangmu, Ming dynasty, Longqing period, dated 1571 明隆慶（1571年） 銅西王母坐像 《隆慶五年四月十八日造》銘
Auction Closed
November 30, 09:40 AM GMT
Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 HKD
Lot Details
Description
An extremely rare large bronze figure of Xiwangmu,
Ming dynasty, Longqing period, dated 1571
明隆慶（1571年） 銅西王母坐像
《隆慶五年四月十八日造》銘
cast seated on a high plinth, the Daoist immortal rendered with her hands clasped before her chest and dressed in long flowing robes incised with floral motifs, the serene expression surmounted by an elaborate phoenix-form crown, the reverse of the plinth with an inscription translating to 'ordered by Madame Liu, wife of confessor Niu Kui, dated 18th day, 4th month, 5th year of Longqing, cast by Wang Huai'
銘文：
信士牛𣁽妻劉氏。同匠王淮。
51 cm
A private family collection in Malmö, acquired in Oslo from an old Norwegian family collection.
馬爾默家族私人收藏，購自奧斯陸家族舊藏
馬爾默家族私人收藏，購自奧斯陸家族舊藏
It is rare to find a Daoist bronze sculpture of this size and quality, and even rarer to find one dated to the Longqing era. Several examples dated to the Jiajing period are recorded, including a larger figure from the H.M. Knight collection, sold in our London rooms, 7th March 1980, lot 32, dated to 1536, and a smaller figure, dated to 1552, sold in our London rooms, 12th March 1982, lot 128. However, no other Longqing example is known. The quality of the casting on the current example is noteworthy, especially the flamboyant phoenix headdress.
Xiwangmu (Queen Mother of the West) was a popular female deity, revered by emperors and common people alike. Although originally she was not a Daoist deity, she was adopted into the pantheon of Highest Purity (Shangqing) Daoism from the Six Dynasties period onwards.
Xiwangmu (Queen Mother of the West) was a popular female deity, revered by emperors and common people alike. Although originally she was not a Daoist deity, she was adopted into the pantheon of Highest Purity (Shangqing) Daoism from the Six Dynasties period onwards.