A BRONZE FIGURE OF A DIGNITARY

Description:

China, on the reverse inscribed with a location and the donor's name, ca. 17th century
H. 22 cm
Seated in European fashion with his shoed feet resting on a rectangular pedestal, both hands in front of his abdomen holding the tablet, wearing various garments including a mantle covering both shoulders, his face displaying a serene expression with downcast eyes and his head topped with the specific hat. Four-line inscription on the back of the base: Huaiqing Fu Henei Xian Kuanping / Xiang Simian(?) daoshi / Chen Xuanyi fa xin zao / San Guan yi tang yongyuan gongyang (Cast from the depths of the heart by the Daoist priest Chen Xuanyi, from Kuanping Township in Henei County, Huaiqing Prefecture: the creation of a complete set of altar figures of the Three Sovereigns, for eternal veneration).
Old Southern German private collection - Minor wear and traces of age