Provenance:
- Nieuwenhuys Collection, 1991
- Private Collection, Belgium 2025
Condition Report Available
€ 22,500
This object can be viewed in our gallery.
A figure of the Daoist Immortal Han Xiangzi, decorated on the biscuit in yellow, green and aubergine enamels. He is depicted standing upright, wearing long yellow robes with a green border; decorated with scattered flowers and leaves, and tied at the waist. His black pointed shoes peek out from under the hem. In his right hand he holds a flute, whilst the left hand is hidden in the wide sleeve. His head, with black hair tied in two top knots, tilts slightly to the right and his face has a gentle expression. The figure stands on a square table base, draped with a cloth decorated with a diaper pattern.
We can identify this figure as Han Xiangzi, one of the group of Eight Immortals (Baixian). This particularly popular group of Daoist deities, comprise seven male and one female figure. The stories and iconography connected to each of these figures, illustrate the transformation from the early philosophical Daoism to a more popular culture, involving magic and alchemy to achieve immortality. Each of the eight characters is based on a historical figure, Han Xiang reputedly being the grandnephew of a ninth century scholar. Known as a great poet and musician, he became the patron of musicians; he can be distinguished from the other immortals by his special attribute, a magical flute (dizi). A man of nature – lover of solitude and mountains - he is believed to have the ability to make flowers and fruit grow out of season, which is emphasized by the flower decoration on his robes.
This type of figure would have been popular for the domestic, as well as the export market. In the West these figures would have been admired as luxurious adornments representing foreign and exotic faraway lands.
The Cleveland Museum of Art has a similar figure, but wearing white (acc.nr. 1964.194) and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (acc.nr. FE.13-1978) has one with a white flowery robe. The Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, has a group of four of the Eight Immortals, including Han Xiangzi (nr. 1931-40). Musée Guimet, Paris, has an example wearing black robes from the Grandidier Collection (nr. G 5332).
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