East Asia, China, Ming Dynasty, ca. 1368 to 1644 CE. A funerary figural pottery attendant with a finely delineated face presenting beautifully modeled and painted features, donning a traditional tall hat, a red and green glazed robe with an incised lotus decorating the front panel and a blue sash with three gold-hued ovoid adornments, over a garment with a yellow and blue chevron pattern, and shoes. This piece was modeled on the front and relatively flat on the verso for attachment to a wall or monument. Funerary figures like this example were traditionally included in burials to accompany and serve the deceased in the afterlife. The ancient Chinese viewed the afterlife as an extension of their life on earth. As Xunzi, a follower of Confucius, aptly stated, "One adorns the dead as though they were still living, and sends them to the grave with forms symbolic of life." Size: 5" W x 10.125" H (12.7 cm x 25.7 cm) Size: 5" W x 9.875" H (12.7 cm x 25.1 cm)

Provenance: ex-private Florida, USA collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#126114

Fissures and losses to plaster-like material on verso used to attach the figure. Tiny nicks, scuffs, and losses to ears, shoes, and peripheries. Glaze shows lovely craquelure that has developed over the years.