GALERIE NICOLAS FOURNERY

A famille verte biscuit water-dropper in the shape of Liu Hai. Kangxi

The smiling figure is modelled wearing a sleeveless garment and trousers, he holds a coin in his right hand and his left hand holds a lotus. He is seated on a large three-legged toad decorated in green enamels and eyes picked out in black.

Country:
China
Period :
Kangxi (166-1722)
Material:
Porcelain
Dimension:
5.90 in. (15 cm)
Reference :
E223
Status:
sold

Provenance

Mallié & Co., Paris

Related works

Two identical examples are illustrated by John Ayers in The Chinese Porcelain collection of Marie Vergottis, Lausanne, 2004, p. 98-99, no. 85 and 86.

For a pair of figures, see Christie’s NYC, The Ann & Gordon Getty Collection: Chinese and Japanese Works of Art and Textiles, 24 october 2022, lot 988.

Notice

Liu Haichan was a Taoist xian (immortal) who was a patriarch of the Quanzhen School, and a master of neidan “internal alchemy” techniques. He learned the secret of immortality from the Chan Chu (“Three-legged Money Toad”) and is a popular Chinese god of wealth

Traditional Chinese and Japanese art frequently represents Liu with a string of square-holed cash coins and a mythical three-legged chanchu (“toad; toad in the moon”).

Photography : Jérémie Beylard /Agence PHAR

 

By appointment only, 10th arrondissement, Paris.
nf@galerienicolasfournery.fr / +33 (0)6 26 57 59 87

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