A pair of Chinese turquoise-glazed Luduan. Qing dynasty, circa 1800
The animals decorated with turquoise glaze on the biscuit.
- Country:
- China
- Period :
- Qing dynasty (1644-1911), circa 1800
- Material:
- Porcelaine
- Dimension:
- 8.66 in. (23 cm)
- Reference :
- D349
- Status:
- sold
Provenance
Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes, 14 rue de Castiglione, Paris, 30 janvier 1941
Notice
Luduan is a legendary Chinese auspicious creature. It has the head of a lion, the horn of a rhino, the body of a dragon, the paws of a bear, the scales of a fish, and the tail of an ox. It can travel 18,000 li (9000 km or 5500 mi) in a single day and speaks all world languages. It appears during the enlightened rule. A legend says a luduan once appeared to Genghis Khan and convinced him to abandon his efforts to conquer India. The throne of the Emperor in the Hall of Supreme Harmony has two incense burners shaped like the luduan as an auspicious symbol.
