Chinese Polychrome Wooden Wooden Sculpture of the Qing Dynasty, 18th Century.

Details

Description

The figure is carved as an armored general with a commanding presence, featuring a long beard, elaborately detailed armor, and … Read more The figure is carved as an armored general with a commanding presence, featuring a long beard, elaborately detailed armor, and a helmet adorned with ornamental and symbolic motifs. One arm is raised, originally intended to hold an attribute such as a whip or staff (now missing), consistent with classical representations of Zhao Gongming.

The black tiger beneath the deity is powerfully modeled, with expressive facial features and a dynamic posture, reinforcing the martial and protective nature of the god. The sculpture stands on an intricately carved base resembling a rocky landscape with mythological and cloud-like elements.
The surface retains original polychromy, including visible traces of red cinnabar pigment, black lacquer, and remnants of gilt decoration, all showing natural wear consistent with age and long-term ritual use.

The reverse of the figure contains a consecration cavity with a removable wooden plug, a characteristic feature of Qing dynasty religious sculptures. Such cavities were used to house prayers, talismans, or other consecration materials, confirming that the sculpture was created for active devotional use, either in a domestic shrine or a temple setting.

Based on the stylistic characteristics, iconography, carving technique, construction, natural wood aging, and surviving polychrome layers—and supported by comparable museum and auction examples—the sculpture is confidently dated to the 18th century, Qing dynasty (likely Qianlong period).

This is not a modern reproduction but an original Qing-period religious sculpture, bearing honest signs of age including wood shrinkage, surface wear, pigment loss, and minor losses consistent with centuries of use.

Provenance:
Formerly in a European private collection; acquired 1920s on the Vienna antiques market (Austria). The object has been in Europe for several decades. See less