Lot 2323
  • 2323

A GOLD 'SHOULAO' PLAQUE MING DYNASTY

Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 HKD
bidding is closed

Description

shaped like Shoulao seated on a bench holding a long ruyi sceptre in his left hand, clothed in long robes falling in numerous folds over his corpulent body, the borders of his robes subtly chased with scroll patterns

Exhibited

Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C., 1954-55, cat.no. 74.

Literature

Bo Gyllensvard, Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1953, cat.no. 74.
Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Ulricehamn, 1999, cat.no. 72.

Catalogue Note

Shoulao is the leader of the Daoist immortals, and is known as the God of Longevity.  He is often depicted with a ruyi sceptre.  See gold plaques dated to the Ming dynasty and shaped like different deities, illustrated in Simon Kwan and Sun Ji, Chinese Gold Ornaments, Hong Kong, 2003, pls 309 and 310.