Secular gilt-bronze figures decorated with cloisonne enamels are rare. The fine workmanship in the casting and selective enamelling is particularly outstanding. Compare with a cloisonne figure of a boy on a hobby horse from the R. H. R. Palmer Collection, illustrated by Garner, The Arts of the Ming Dynasty, Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, 1933-57, vol. 30, fig. 328. The author suggests that during the 17th century there was a tendency to break away from the more formal styles and that subjects such as these were treated in a naturalistic manner, op. cit., p. 51.

The dragon motif enamelled at the back of the figure's garment is particularly interesting point of note and close resemblence could be drawn to the upright dragon with coiling body surging above breaking waves found on Kangxi porcelains, such as the dragon found on the copper-red blue and white vase in the Percival David Foundation, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, Kodansha Series, vol. 6, no. 49. Compare also to the dragon on a fanghu-type vase of the same period formerly from the collection of Sir Harry Garner, now in the Pierre Uldry Collection, illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 157.

Another group of gilt-bronze and cloisonne-decorated figures cast as Buddhist images was specifically commissioned for the imperial court. Cf. a seated figure of Amitayus in the present sale, bearing a Qianlong mark, lot 522; and its related counterpart in the Palace of Harmony, illustrated in the Catalogue, Art Blooming Publishing Co., 1981, no. 231.

(US$30,000-40,000)