Seated Provincial Mandarin Official with Inscriptions (16911)

Description

Clearly made by a provincial artisan, this barefooted image on simple base identifies this ancestor as a commoner. Officials were required to wear official boots, which was not the case for this low-to-mid-ranking civil official. Ancestor Lin Huītóng was either a wealthy landowner or minor government official. In Chinese folk tradition even if an ancestor held a modest rank, he was depicted in idealized official attire to reflect honor to his lineage.

The face on his oversized head is symbolically calm and detached to suggest an objective, otherworldly status. His proscribed stylized serene expression and small painted mustache, although mask like, were used to inspire devotion. He wears a civil official’s cap and long Mandarin coat with wide sleeves of the upper class over a garment with a right-over-left wrap closure, a feature of traditional Han Chinese clothing (hanfu). The “jewel-tone” colors of his red robe and gold accents on the collar and belt were part of his “best dress” representation. Red symbolizes joy, good fortune, and vitality and gold represent wealth and prosperity. His belt he used to hang personal items, indicate he was a man of means.

The back inscription is his name Lín Huītóng, with the title “respected elder” and states the carving was dedicated for ritual worship.  Other characters state the date/time of birth: – Year of the Metal Monkey, probably 1860 – and time of death. The back carved finger grips enabled family members  to remove it from the altar, turn, clean, and travel with it. Significant age-related wear and the grip’s smoothness are a sign of authenticity and traditional devotional use which generally valued by collectors.