An ivory figure of Zhenwu. Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century - image-1
An ivory figure of Zhenwu. Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century - image-2
An ivory figure of Zhenwu. Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century - image-3
An ivory figure of Zhenwu. Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century - image-1An ivory figure of Zhenwu. Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century - image-2An ivory figure of Zhenwu. Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century - image-3

Lot 113 D‡α

An ivory figure of Zhenwu. Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century

Auction 1235 - overview Cologne
08.12.2023, 11:30 - India/Southeast Asia, Tibet/Nepal, China, Korea and Japan
Estimate: 3.000 € - 5.000 €
Result: 3.024 € (incl. premium)
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An ivory figure of Zhenwu. Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century

Seated with long hair falling over his back, holding a sword in his left hand, placing the right hand on his knee, his bare feet resting on a tortoise and a snake respectively. Intensive brown patina and age cracks, remains of hairs to the upper and lower lip.
Height 16.5 cm

In the 16th and 17th century many ivory figures were produced in Fujian province in southern China. Most of them represent the Bodhisattva Guanyin in his female manifestation with a boy in her arms, Taoist immortals, and erotic figures. Dignitaries or Daoist deities, such as the present figure of the God of the North, Zhenwu, are rather the exception. Zhenwu was popular in the late Ming period not only as an image cast in bronze but also in the medium of ceramics.

明 十六/十七世紀
牙雕真武坐像
來源：德國萊茵蘭地區私人收藏

Provenance

Private collection, Rhineland