Lot 117
East Asia, China, Ming Dynasty, ca. 1368 to 1644 CE. A dignified, seated wooden figure of Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, immortal matriarch of Daoist paradise and guardian of the elixir of immortality. Carved in the round from hardwood and retaining traces of original polychrome pigments, this life-sized sculpture presents the goddess with serene expression, downcast eyes, and hands folded gracefully atop her robed knees. Her flowing garments are rendered with elegant drapery and relief borders that recall embroidered silk, while the form of the throne retains the rough-hewn marks of the original carving. Most distinctive is the elaborate phoenix crowning her head - wings raised, beak lifted - a traditional emblem of high virtue and imperial grace. The phoenix is intimately associated with Xiwangmu in Chinese mythology, symbolizing her sovereignty over heaven and her role as protector of the righteous. Size: 15" L x 20" W x 49.8" H (38.1 cm x 50.8 cm x 126.5 cm)
The bird's placement atop a high tiara, along with the goddess's cloud collar and formal seated posture, reinforces her status as a celestial queen. On the reverse, a rectangular cavity is carved into the back, likely for consecration or the insertion of ritual materials, a typical practice in temple statuary of the period. The wood has aged with a warm patina, and remnants of red, green, and gilt pigments still cling to its surface, testifying to the statue's original splendor.
Figures of Xiwangmu were enshrined in Daoist temples across Ming China, where she was venerated as a bestower of blessings, fertility, and long life. This example, noble in bearing and rich with symbolic detail, is a powerful testament to the spiritual artistry of late imperial Chinese devotion.
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, a dated paper script honoring the donors and commemorating the event, 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.
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired from 1990 - 2005
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#193611
- Condition: A few areas of repair or reattachment with repainting over break lines. Some stable fissures, nicks, chips, and abrasions throughout, as well as old, inactive insect damage. Otherwise, nice presentation with liberal remains of pigment and rich detail. Light patina to surface.
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