Antique Deified Mandarin Official Holding His Sleeve (19011)

Description

The role of this deified official or highly successful ancestor esteemed for his worldly achievements was to oversee earthly affairs and protect the descendants and other statues on the altar. His posture, facial features, and attire portray him as a mid-to-high ranking idealized official or a protective folk deity. With his right thumb grasping his flowing decorative sleeve, he was honored as significant, wealthy, and spiritually powerful. His face and attire are those of an idealized figure. Almond-shaped eyes framed by carved arched eyebrows and thin lips with red pigment form a gentle, benevolent smile as if embracing all around him. The serene, smiling expression and downcast eyes incorporate Buddhist and Taoist artistic traditions and instill a feeling of spirituality and other worldliness.

His formal, layered lavish robes of deep red and black are decorated with golden floral or cloud motifs on a high-collared, wide-sleeved garment are typical of Qing-period altar figures of high-ranking or deified Qing officials. Floral motifs were commonly used for Taoist or scholar-official deities symbolizing divinity and immortality. The flat-topped flared cap is a variant of a scholar–official’s hat, a primary symbol of imperial rank, authority, moral integrity, and seniority in the imperial hierarchy. Worn only by those above the scholar rank, it symbolized loyalty and unquestioning service to the emperor as well as Confucian principles of morality, filial piety and and social structure.

The statues back had a large grip for transport which has deteriorated. While the bottom back section is in poor shape, the front is in excellent condition.  The consecration cavity with original cover and contents indicates it was blessed by a Priest of Monk in an eye-opening ceremony.

AI Market Valuation Summary

AI rates this piece as Collector’s Quality for the following reasons:

While this is not a high-end imperial carving, this statue is a collector’s quality 19th century piece of regional folk and ethnographic art and religious devotional artifacts. The degradation of the back and wood cracks are consistent with centuries of environmental exposure and devotion in a home shrine. The front contains  much of the original cinnabar red paint, black pigments, and remnants of gold leaf (gilded lacquer). The most important attribute making this “collector’s quality” is the intact ritual consecration cavity with original cover and contents inside. This is rare and indicates it has been spiritually blessed by a Priest or Monk.