Bonhams 1793 : A large and extremely rare bamboo figure of Dong Fangshuo Early Qing dynasty

A large bamboo figure of Dong Fangshuo Early Qing dynasty

24 Nov 2012 15:00 CST Hong Kong
A Private North American Collection of Scholar's Objects
Back to auction 20909

A large and extremely rare bamboo figure of Dong Fangshuo

Early Qing dynasty
Superbly carved with full naturalistic detail in the form of the elderly figure depicted seated in relaxed poise on rockwork with both legs pendant, his jovial expression framed by a long beard and his hair neatly wrapped in a bunch, his right hand holding a leafy stem issuing the fruit of longevity, the left supported on his right knee, adorned in loose flowing robes tied at the waist in a knot, a double gourd and ruyi hung freely at the rear.
21.5cm high.

Estimate:

HK$ 800,000 - 1.2 million
US$ 100,000 - 150,000
£68,000 - 100,000

Footnotes

Provenance 來源:
Sir Peter Moores collection

"People like me are known as those who escape the world by taking it easy at court"

Sir Peter Moores CBE DL (b.9 April 1932) is a British businessman, art collector and philanthropist. The Peter Moores Foundation purchased Compton Verney House in Warwickshire, which has been transformed into a museum of international standing, housing several collections including one of the finest collections of archaic bronzes in Europe.

Dongfang Shuo (c.16093 B.C.) was a Han Dynasty scholar-official, appointed as court jester to Emperor Wu (r.14187 B.C.). In Chinese mythology, Dongfang is considered a Daoist immortal and has been incarnated as a series of ancient ministers including Laozi.

The imagery of Dongfang Shuo holding a peach derives from the legend where he stole the peaches of immortality from the peach gardens of Xiwangmu, Queen Mother of the West. It is recorded in the third century text Han Wudi gushi or 'Precedents of Han Emperor Wu' and Nuowuzhi or 'Monograph on Various Matters', that when Xiwangmu presented Emperor Wu with seven of her peaches of immortality, she recognised Dong Fangshuo as one of her courtiers at Mount Kunlun, claiming that he was a reincarnation of his former immortal self and was temporarily banished into the mortal realm for stealing her fruits of longevity.

For a similar carved bamboo seated figure of Dongfang Shuo holding a peach, preserved in the Shanghai Museum, see Literati Spirit. Art of Chinese Bamboo Carving, Shanghai, 2012, p.115, no.051. Compare also a carved bamboo seated figure of Dongfang Shuo dated to 17/18th century from the Mr and Mrs Gerard Hawthorn Collection, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2324.

清早期竹雕東方朔坐像

取竹地下莖圓雕東方朔，老叟長鬚及胸，高髻頭巾，眉開眼笑，長袍廣袖，腳著草履，腰間系一葫蘆，左手執一桃枝，枝端兩顆仙桃，右手握膝，倚靠壽石之上。

此器來源於英國慈善家及收藏家Peter Moores勳爵（生於1932年4月9日）。Peter勳爵曾於1971至1986年間在利物浦Walker Art Gallery畫廊舉辦藝術展並舉世聞名。1993年他成立基金會並在華威郡買下康普頓莊園，並隨後於2004年在此建立博物館。

東方朔（西元前154 前93年），西漢辭賦家。北宋司馬光主編《資治通鑑》（第017卷）中記載東方朔性格詼諧，滑稽多智，常在武帝面前談笑風聲，被司馬遷在《史記》中稱為「滑稽之雄」。東方朔博學多才，善於察言觀色，時直言切諫，受武帝重視。相傳漢武帝壽辰之日，西王母攜七枚仙桃前來祝壽，東方朔暗留下兩枚，如此一連三次並得以長壽。此後東方朔與壽桃則常被用作傳統繪畫及文房用品的裝飾元素。

此器雕法細膩，採用圓雕、鏤雕等多種技法雕琢，刀工嫻熟，衣紋線條流暢，山石層疊洼隆，人物面相飽滿，生態自若，甚為佳品。上海博物館藏一件清代竹根雕東方朔，其刀工及風格於本器類似，見上海博物館編，《竹鏤文心：竹刻珍品特集》，上海，2012年，頁115，圖版051，另見Mr and Mrs Gerard Hawthorn好善簃珍藏一件清十七/十八世紀竹雕東方朔坐像，其刀法及形態於本器相類，後於香港佳士得拍賣，2008年12月3日，拍品2324。