Antique Exceptional Consecrated Mandarin Ancestor in Horseshoe Chair, China (19054)

Description

Mandarin-officials were very highly regarded bureaucratic scholars serving the government of Imperial China and were often honored by their family descendants who included ancestor figures in Mandarin officials attire on the family home altar or shrine from the Ming Dynasty through the Qing (aka Manchu) Dynasty. As part of ancestor worship these figures were the highest form of filial piety in Confucian traditions.

This masterfully carved ancestor as a mandarin official sits on horseshoe chair set on a footed high decorated plinth. Given the craftsmanship of the carving, it was probably commissioned by a wealth family. He is dressed in compulsory officials attire: a solid-color calf-length center-fastening Mandarin surcoat with 3 buttons down the open front (changshan) to reveal a plain long gown (nei tao), informal wear, called “half dress” which meant that he did not have to wear his badge of rank at that time. His Mandarin conical summer official’s headwear (qing guanmao) is carved to look like finely carved woven split bamboo rattan. His face is uniquely and unusually individualized with heavy lidded eyes, in a benevolent expression and his advanced aged indicated by the wrinkles clearly depicting a loved individual.  In a formal pose, his well-defined high back horseshoe chair is carved in the round, with cabriole legs, arched back and dowels. During the Qing,  horseshoe chairs were “markers of high status, seats of honour” (Clunis, p. 14) which, along with the pedestal indicates his high status. The pedestal is covered with inscriptions made when it was consecrated.  From the left it reads  An autumn month in the Renyin (or Renchen) year“ which indicates a specific year in the 60-year Chinese sexagenary cycle (probably 1902), February 18th, from 1 am to 3 am,  and another phrase “long live forever” followed by the name of the devotee who commissioned or carved the statue and an offering prayer or a declaration of devotion to the deity or ancestor. This exquisitely carved image in excellent condition with a fine patina was true homage to a revered family member and is one of our finest ancestor figures.

Click here for the Blog Consecrating Wooden Images to Imbue Them with A Life Force

Sources:

Valery M. Garrett, “A Collector’s Guide to Chinese Dress Accessories,” Singapore, Times Editions

Valery Garret, Chinese Clothing, An Illustrated Guide.” Hong Kong, Oxford University Press, 1994.