A 'Dehua' figure of Guanyin, 19th century, Qing dynasty

Lot 294. A 'Dehua' figure of Guanyin, 19th century, Qing dynasty. Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 USD.Photo: Sotheby's

finely modeled in a pose of 'royal ease', adorned in loose robes and a single-strand beaded necklace, the hair swept up in a chignon with two knotted plaits falling in tresses over the shoulders, the left arm holding a ruyis cepter and leaning on a tripod armrest, the back impressed with a double-gourd seal reading He Chaozhong - Height 8 1/2  in., 21.6 cm.

From the Collection of Richard Lehman Gray

Note: Compare with a similar example illustrated in P.J. Donnelly, Blanc de Chine, London, 1969, pl. 144A and from the author's collection; and a Guanyin signed He Chaozhong, with similar facial expression but hooded, formerly in the J.M. Hu Collection, included in An Exhibition of Te Hua Porcelain, Art Gallery, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1975, cat. no. 77, and sold at Christie's New York, 15th September 2009, lot 408.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 13 sept. 2016, 10:30 AM