Lot 18 A Chinese blue and white figure of Budai

A Chinese blue and white figure of Budai

Wanli

未知

€ 20.000 – € 40.000

WDH: H. 26,5 cm, W. 17,5 cm, D. 10,9 cm

未知

Expressively modelled, seated on a slightly waisted double-lotus base with the left knee raised. In his right hand he holds a blue fan, with a strand of prayer beads draped around his wrist, while his left hand rests upon his raised knee, grasping the ends of his cloth bag, which extends beneath his arm and across his back. The sack is decorated with a chequered pattern. He wears a loose robe parted at the front to reveal his rounded belly. The robe is largely undecorated, save for a number of stylised cloud motifs, while the borders around the shoulders and back are richly decorated with fish-scale motifs and peaches enclosed within cartouches. His head is characterised by long pendulous earlobes and hair rendered with stippled decoration in underglaze cobalt blue. The face displays an expressive, joyful smile. The unglazed base is provided with a short, shallow footrim and pierced with a small circular aperture.
Budai was an eccentric Buddhist monk who lived in south-eastern China during the early tenth century. His name, Budai, literally means “cloth bag” and refers to the sack in which he carried all of his worldly possessions. In Chinese folklore, he is regarded as a symbol of happiness, prosperity and good fortune.
此尊布袋和尚塑造生動，坐於微束腰的雙層蓮座之上，左膝屈起。右手持青花摺扇，腕間垂掛一串念珠，左手擱於屈膝之上，握持布袋兩端。布袋自臂下延伸至背部，外飾棋盤格紋。身着寬鬆袈裟，胸腹袒露，顯出圓鼓腹部。衣袍大致留白，間飾如意雲紋，肩背衣緣則以青花密繪鱗紋，並飾開光桃枝。雙耳垂肩，髮部以青花點染，面帶歡暢笑容，神態喜悅而富有感染力。底部露胎，下承淺矮圈足，並開一小圓孔。
布袋和尚是活躍於十世紀初中國東南地區的一位高僧，因常隨身攜帶盛放全部家當的布袋而得名。在中國民間信仰中，布袋和尚亦被視為彌勒佛的化身，其袒腹歡笑的形象象徵歡喜、富足與吉祥。
Provenance:
Luis Alegria, Porto, with their label to the base.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above on 20 march 2019, accompanied by a scan of their original invoice, certificate of authenticity and an Oxford Authentication Thermoluminescnce Analysis report, dated 5 March 2019. (see added scans)
Exhibited:
TEFAF Maastricht, Luis Alegria, 2019.