A RARE AND LARGE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF THE KING OF MEDICINE 'YAOWANG'

Description:

China, 16th/ 17th c.
H. 34,8 cm
Finely cast with a long beard and gerene downcast gaze beneath an official cap, seated with his right hand resting on his knee, his left hand carrying a gourd, clad in long flowing robes inclsed with a five-clawed dragon medallion to the chest, another dragon medallion chasing a flaming pearl to the back, ruyi-cloud hems.
South German private collection, bought from Bonhams London, 11.5.2017, lot 114
The present figure appears to be a rare portrayal of Sun Simiao (AD 581-682), a physician of the Sui/early Tang dynasties, reputed to have served the Tang emperor Taizong. He is typically portrayed holding a double-gourd medicine jar. Sun Simiao was acclaimed for his significant contribution to the development of Chinese medicine, in particular the compilation of the Beiji Qianjin Yaorang,the first medical encyclopedia in China, in AD 652. He was later deified in the Daoist pantheon, revered as the King of Medicine and as a protective guardian of health in Chinese popular religion. The double gourd, or hulu is a close homophone for fulu or 'good fortune and prosperity'. According to Daoist beliefs, the double gourd is perceived to contain a micro-universe where Immortals dwell for eternity, thus it is associated with wishes for longevity
Minor traces of age and very minor wear