Lot 24
East Asia, China, Ming to early Qing Dynasty, ca. 16th to 17th century CE. A finely carved wooden figure of a Taoist guardian, depicted standing atop an integral plinth and clad in flowing, layered robes that convey a sense of movement and authority. The left hand is raised with the index and middle fingers extended together in the traditional "sword gesture," a symbolic mudra associated with ritual purification and the warding off of malevolent forces. The right hand is clenched into a fist and raised above the head, with a tubular opening between the fingers indicating that the figure likely once held an object - possibly a sword or ritual implement. On the reverse, a square niche has been carved into the back and sealed with a fitted panel, functioning as a consecration chamber, a ritual space used to house sacred scrolls, prayers, or offerings to imbue the sculpture with spiritual potency. Size: 14" W x 34.5" H (35.6 cm x 87.6 cm)
Historically, carved figural statues held profound cultural and religious significance in China, serving not merely as decoration but as vital conduits for spiritual inspiration, solace, and ancestral veneration. These sacred objects populated homes, clan halls, temples, and public spaces, where altars and shrines honored familial ancestors and a pantheon of deities. The size and opulence of these dedicated spaces reflected a family's standing, with even modest homes featuring altars for expressing Confucian piety through ancestor worship. Wealthier families often dedicated entire rooms to elaborate shrines, housing images and ancestor tablets - inscribed placards acting as spiritual seats for the deceased, sometimes even found in temple halls where monks offered prayers for their well-being in the afterlife. Central to imbuing these carvings with spiritual potency was the "eye opening ceremony," a consecration ritual performed by a senior priest or monk. This process, involving practices like dotting the eyes with cinnabar, pricking them, or anointing them with liquids, was believed to awaken the statue's senses, enabling it to perceive and respond to devotees' prayers. Before this ritual, a cavity carved into the statue's back was filled with sacred documents, prayers, and symbolic items representing inner organs, then sealed. The completed, veiled statue was then solemnly carried to the temple for the complex consecration, a communal event believed to imbue the inert carving with life force (chi or qi) and invite the deity's spirit to reside within. This animated state was believed to persist as long as the cavity remained sealed, making intact statues with their original contents exceptionally rare and deserving of continued reverence.
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired from 1990 - 2005
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#192914
- Condition: Heavy weathering to the base and other areas as shown due to exposure to elements, and old inactive insect activity, bore holes and grooves. Some scattered remains of paint pigments, which may have protected the figure from some insect damage, but insect holes to upper right arm, with losses to the sleeve. Stable pressure fissures and nice patina throughout.
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