Lot - Qing Wood Ancestor as Official, Glass Eyes & Horse Hair

East Asia, China, Qing Dynasty, ca. 18th century CE. A powerful embodiment of filial reverence, this stately seated ancestor figure was carved in wood during China's Qing Dynasty, likely in the 18th century, to commemorate and honor a deceased patriarch. The figure represents a high-ranking official, seated with upright bearing and solemn presence, his hands carefully arranged - one resting on his knee, the other holding up his carved belt in a gesture symbolizing his posthumous dignity and high status. The carving is exceptional in its lifelike presence: the face is painted with expressive detail and inset with glass eyes that still gleam with intensity centuries later. Horsehair forms the figure's long mustache and beard, adding an eerie verisimilitude to the portrait. His robes, worn and faded from time, still show vestiges of cinnabar red pigment - once brilliant and proud - now softened by the passage of years. Size: 12.8" L x 18.8" W x 32.3" H (32.5 cm x 47.8 cm x 82 cm)

His tightly pulled topknot and elongated earlobes emphasize wisdom and refinement, while his ample belly and broad, firmly planted feet convey strength, prosperity, and power. In traditional Chinese ancestral veneration, such figures were not simply decorative but deeply spiritual. For families of wealth and prestige, carved ancestor portraits were commissioned to house the lingering spirit of the deceased. These works were placed on home altars or within the family's ancestral hall - a sacred space where the figure could be honored, petitioned, and remembered across generations. Though often based loosely on a likeness, it was the idealized qualities - strength, status, wisdom, and serenity - that mattered most. Artisans carved not only for the family, but for the ancestor himself.

This figure exemplifies that purpose: the belt he grips would have denoted his bureaucratic status, whether or not he held such a title in life. The proud seated posture, generous form, and upward gaze signal both his worldly importance and spiritual presence. This was a man to be remembered, respected, and revered. A deeply moving and rare survivor of Qing dynasty ancestor worship, retaining traces of original pigment and personality.

Historically, carved figural statues held profound cultural and religious significance in China, serving not merely as decoration but as vital conduits for spiritual inspiration, solace, and ancestral veneration. These sacred objects populated homes, clan halls, temples, and public spaces, where altars and shrines honored familial ancestors and a pantheon of deities. The size and opulence of these dedicated spaces reflected a family's standing, with even modest homes featuring altars for expressing Confucian piety through ancestor worship. Wealthier families often dedicated entire rooms to elaborate shrines, housing images and ancestor tablets - inscribed placards acting as spiritual seats for the deceased, sometimes even found in temple halls where monks offered prayers for their well-being in the afterlife.

Central to imbuing these carvings with spiritual potency was the "eye opening ceremony," a consecration ritual performed by a senior priest or monk. This process, involving practices like dotting the eyes with cinnabar, pricking them, or anointing them with liquids, was believed to awaken the statue's senses, enabling it to perceive and respond to devotees' prayers. Before this ritual, a cavity carved into the statue's back was filled with sacred documents, a dated paper script honoring the donors and commemorating the event, prayers, and symbolic items representing inner organs, then sealed. The completed, veiled statue was then solemnly carried to the temple for the complex consecration, a communal event believed to imbue the inert carving with life force (chi or qi) and invite the deity's spirit to reside within. This animated state was believed to persist as long as the cavity remained sealed, making intact statues with their original contents exceptionally rare and deserving of continued reverence.

Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired from 1990 - 2005

SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).

PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.

Item # 193616

Condition: Good. Professionally repaired with break lines visible in areas. Stable fissures to wood as well as weathering, nicks, and abrasions to surface commensurate with age. Otherwise, nice presentation with liberal remaining pigments and good preservation of horse hair and glass eyes. Patina to wood in areas. Bung consecration cavity cover is intact.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 30% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments

From:	To:	Increments:
$0	$299	$25
$300	$999	$50
$1,000	$1,999	$100
$2,000	$4,999	$250
$5,000	$9,999	$500
$10,000	$19,999	$1,000
$20,000	$49,999	$2,500
$50,000	$99,999	$5,000
$100,000	$199,999	$10,000
$200,000 +		$20,000

Lot 229

Qing Wood Ancestor as Official, Glass Eyes & Horse Hair

Qing Wood Ancestor as Official, Glass Eyes & Horse Hair

Starting Bid: $1,300

Additional Details

Payment & Shipping

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Shipping

Conditions of Sale

Artemis Fine Arts