A rare and important bronze figure of Bixia Yuanjun, Yuan / Ming dynasty, 14th / 15th century | 元/明 十四/十五世紀 銅碧霞元君坐像

Acquired by the grandparents of the present owner circa 1950, and thence by descent.

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現藏家之祖父母得於約1950年，此後家族傳承

Bixia Yuanjun, 'The Primordial Sovereign of the Colored Clouds of Dawn', is the Taoist goddess associated with Mount Tai in Shandong Province, regarded as a deity of childbirth, the dawn, and destiny. Depicted here, the sovereign sits on a rectangular plinth, holding a gui tablet, and adorned in flowing robes with an intricate three-phoenixes crown signifying her elevated status. The bronze is distinguished by the fine relief casting of the floral-patterned borders of the robe and undergarment. There are traces of polychromy on the sculpture, hinting at the original vibrant colours that once embellished this revered figure and further highlighting the importance of this deity in Chinese religious tradition, particularly during the Ming dynasty. Compare a similar sized bronze figure of Bixia Yuanjun, preserved in the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago (accession no. 1967.333) illustrated in S. Little and K. Schipper, Taoism and the Arts of China, California, 2000, p. 278, cat. no. 95 (Fig.1). The present figure bears a remarkably close resemblance to the Chicago example in its size and remaining painted details, suggesting that these two sculptures may have originally been produced as part of the same set.

The official Taoist hagiography of Bixia Yuanjun is contained in a text entitled History of Mount Tai, compiled by Zha Zhilong (1554-86) and included in the Wanli Emperor's reign (1573-1620) supplement to the Taoist Canon, printed in 1607. During the Ming and early Qing dynasties, Bixia Yuanjun became one of the most popular deities in North China; her following extended to the Lower Yangzi region as well, and she also enjoyed significant patronage from the imperial court, particularly during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This had a great impact on the culture of northern China where she became the equivalent to the bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokitesvara), whose cult was powerful in central and southern China. As the goddess of dawn, she attends the birth of each new day from her home high in the clouds. As the goddess of childbirth, she attends the birth of children, fixing their destiny and bringing good fortune.  

碧霞元君，尊稱「東嶽泰山天仙玉女碧霞元君」，乃道教中主司黎明、生育與命運之尊貴女神。此尊神像端坐於方形台座之上，手持圭板，身著飄逸長袍，頂戴三鳳紋高冠，象徵其神格尊崇。銅像整體造型莊嚴肅穆，衣紋起伏自然，邊緣飾以細膩花卉紋浮雕，鑄工精湛。像身尚存彩繪痕跡，顯示原像曾施以丹彩，反映其在明代宮廷或壇場禮儀中應具重要地位。

本尊之形制、尺寸與芝加哥藝術博物館藏一例碧霞元君銅像（藏品編號1967.333）極為相近，後者著錄於《道教與中國藝術》（Taoism and the Arts of China），S. Little 與 K. Schipper 編，加州，2000年，頁278，編號95（圖一）。兩像於彩繪殘留、冠飾構造與衣褶風格皆近，或原為同壇奉祀之配像。

碧霞元君信仰自明代中葉盛行，特別於華北地區香火鼎盛，信徒廣布。其官方神傳載於《萬曆續道藏》中《泰山志》，由道士查志隆（1554–1586）所編，刊行於萬曆三十五年（1607年）。神格地位漸與觀音菩薩並峙，尤以主掌晨曦與司生育之神職著稱，象徵吉祥新生與命運賜福，深受社會各階層信仰與供奉，亦常見於宮廷齋醮與民間壇廟之中。