Object Description
Kangxi – early 18th century Chinese – pair of Famille verte biscuit porcelain figures made for export loosely representing the deity Guan De. The modelling shows a seated dignitary on a hexagonal plinth.
One figure is holding a sword the other is holding jars. This is because Guan De had numerous roles and represented many things. He is best known as the God of War hence the sword but he is also the god for honesty, justice and integrity and is the ‘patron’ of all traders.
in the heroic poem ‘The Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ he symbolises absolute righteousness, dignity and nobility.
All Chinese homes had a figure of Guan De near the door so that no evil would dare to enter.In the west these figures were seen as exotic and Romance as the journey they had undertaken.
Excellent colouring, detail and modelling.
Biscuit porcelain is fired porcelain where the painting is applied on top after firing, it was an attempt to speed up the process of making figures and shaped objects.