Edward Luper
Specialist, Chinese Works of Art
Lot 28
A large blanc-de-Chine figure of Guanyin Impressed Boji Yuren seal mark, late Qing Dynasty
10 November 2016, 10:30 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £11,875 inc. premium
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A large blanc-de-Chine figure of Guanyin
Impressed Boji Yuren seal mark, late Qing Dynasty
The Goddess of Mercy modelled with hooded eyes downcast under arching brows and thick hair tied in a high chignon surrounded by an elaborate tiara enclosing a small figure of Amitabha Buddha, the delicate hands clasped together, covered overall with an ivory-white glaze, impressed four-character seal mark.
50.8cm (20in) high
The Goddess of Mercy modelled with hooded eyes downcast under arching brows and thick hair tied in a high chignon surrounded by an elaborate tiara enclosing a small figure of Amitabha Buddha, the delicate hands clasped together, covered overall with an ivory-white glaze, impressed four-character seal mark.
50.8cm (20in) high
Footnotes
清末 德化白瓷觀音立像
「博及漁人」篆書印款
Provenance: Dr Arthur Spriggs (1919-2015), received in 1972 from P.J. Donnelly (in exchange for a ginger jar), and thence by descent
來源： Arthur Spriggs(1919-2015)醫生收藏，於1972年得自英國古董商P.J. Donnelly（以瓷罐一件換取），並由後人保存迄今
The impressed seal mark 'Boji Yuren' can be read as 'virtue extends to all, including fishermen', four figures bearing the Boji Yuren seal mark, illustrated by J.Ayers in Blanc de Chine: Divine Images in Porcelain, pp.117-120, pls.68-71.
Compare with a blanc-de-chine figure of Guanyin, boji yuren mark, 19th century, of similar size and in similar posture, sold at Christie's New York on 17-18 September 2015, lot 2171.
Dr Arthur Spriggs (1919-2015)
Educated at Winchester and New College, Oxford, Arthur Spriggs was a distinguished medical scientist for much of his very long life. He held a number of senior positions at Oxford's Radcliffe Infirmary and Churchill Hospital where he lectured and published extensively in his specialist field of cancer research. His early published research was accompanied by illustrations of cell preparations carefully drawn (using a microscope) by his accomplished water-colourist wife Gereth. Later in his career he pioneered the use of electron microscopy in the observation of chromosome anomalies and the detection of cancers, establishing the first regional screening service.
Dr Sprigg's personal interests extended to botany (he created and maintained a large 'natural' garden at his home); molluscs and snails (an indefatigable field worker, he must have surveyed every square kilometre of Oxfordshire during his long but active retirement); and, of course, Chinese porcelain, especially 17th century blue and white. A keen supporter for many years of the London-based Oriental Ceramic Society, he presented a ground-breaking lecture in 1965 which documented certain types of Chinese and Japanese porcelain featured in Western paintings between AD 1450-1700; published in the Transactions, Vol.36, it stimulated further investigation into the handsome 'vanitas' oil paintings which greatly enhanced the houses of successful Netherlandish burghers during the 17th century 'Dutch Golden Age'.
