
Juliette Hammer
Sale Coordinator
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£5,000 - £8,000
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Specialist, Chinese Works of Art

Head of Chinese and Asian Art, London
十七/十八世紀 竹雕鐘馗護子像
Zhong Kui, known as the Demon Queller, is a legendary figure in Chinese mythology celebrated for vanquishing evil spirits. Zhong Kui was an 8th century scholar who excelled in the civil service examinations. However, his fierce and ugly appearance repulsed the Emperor, who stripped him of his honours. Later, Zhong Kui appeared in the Emperor's nightmare, banishing ghosts from his dream. In gratitude, the Emperor bestowed upon him the title of Demon Queller. In the present lot he is holding a boy, symbolising his role as a fierce protector and a guardian of life and family. Children also symbolise fertility and prosperity, making this depiction an expression of hope, familial harmony, and the triumph of good over evil. See a carved bamboo figure of Zhong Kui with five demons, Yongzheng/Qianlong, illustrated by S.Kwan, Ming and Qing Bamboo, Hong Kong, 2000, pp.286-287, no.70.
Compare with a related bamboo carving of Zhong Kui and demons, 18th century, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 May 2024, lot 2954. See also a carved bamboo figure of Zhong Kui with child, 17th century, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 May 2002, lot 631.