清十七 / 十八世紀 鎏金銅周倉立像

the brilliantly gilt figure finely cast in the form of the guardian Zhou Cang, depicted wearing armour beneath a surcoat with a hat tied with a cloth, his hands portrayed in a studied pose in front of his chest as if holding something, standing on a separate rocky ground attached to the bottom of the feet with two screws, the visible surfaces all heavily gilt

The figure is in good condition, with just minor surface wear to the main body. There are tiny bruises and dents to the underside of the base.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Although figures of this type are traditionally attributed to the Ming dynasty, the unusually small size, astonishingly fine detail for a figure of this group, and the fact that the base is fitted to the feet with screws, suggest an early Qing date.  The use of screws became fairly standard at the Qing Court for fixing different parts of metal objects, and they were often used, for instance, with multi-part cloisonné and gilt-bronze pieces. 

Zhou Cang is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's 14th century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.  The iconography on the current figure closely matches Qing dynasty woodblock print pictures of Zhou Cang.