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A RARE BAMBOO CARVING OF DONGFANG SHUO WITH PEACHES
17th/18th century

Scholarly Gems from the Collection of Mr & Mrs Gerard Hawthorn
14 May 2025, 10:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £63,900 inc. premium

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A RARE BAMBOO CARVING OF DONGFANG SHUO WITH PEACHES

17th/18th century
Expertly carved as the Daoist Immortal Dongfang Shuo seated on rockwork, wearing loosely draped robes secured at the waist with a sash, from which a double-gourd hanging at the back, and wearing a pair of straw sandals, with both hands holding a leafy sprig of peach, detailed with jovial expression, finely incised beard and hair.
14cm (5 1/2in) high.

Footnotes

十七/十八世紀 竹雕東方朔坐像

Provenance: Jonathan Bennett, London, 2004 (collector's notes)

來源： Jonathan Bennett，倫敦，2004年（藏家筆記）

Dongfang Shuo was a legendary scholar and wit who served at the Court of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty. Renowned for his sharp intellect and mischievous sense of humour, he became a symbol of quick thinking and resourcefulness. He is also closely associated with the 'Peaches of Immortality', as folklore recounts that he stole these mythical fruits from the Queen Mother of the West's garden, granting him a semi-divine status in Chinese culture. Dongfang Shuo's tales often highlight his cunning and playfulness, making him a beloved figure in Chinese literature and art, where he represents both intellect and the pursuit of Immortality.

Compare with a related bamboo carving of Dongfang Shuo with peaches, seated on rockwork, Qing dynasty, illustrated in Literati Spirit: Art of Chinese Bamboo Carving, Shanghai, 2012, pp.114-115, no.51. See also a related bamboo carving of Dongfang Shuo with peaches, Qing dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, Palace Museum, Beijing (acc.no.故00120185). A figure of the same size, early Qing dynasty, from the Qing Court Collection, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings: The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2002, pl.42.

Compare with a related finely carved bamboo-root figure of a Daoist Immortal, Qing dynasty, 18th century, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 6 April 2015, lot 3006.

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