Chinese Laotse Figure Made of Bronze
Sold – no longer available
This piece was a handmade one-of-a-kind work. It cannot be reordered and will never exist in this form again. The page stays online as part of our archive.
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Details about the sold piece
- Height 29 cm
- Width 18 cm
- Weight 3 g
- Color Brown
- Item Type Figure
- Material Bronze
- Period of Creation Taishô (1912–1926)
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
Worked in finely chiseled bronze, this figure depicts the Chinese sage Laotse as a tall, dignified figure with a long, finely worked beard and a calmly smiling face. In one hand he holds a peach as a symbol of immortality, in the other a gnarled staff whose upper end tapers into an artfully shaped dragon snail.
The details are especially convincing: the richly patterned robe is covered with countless small ornaments, while the base bears a dragon turtle whose scales and features are worked out with remarkable precision. The shimmering, dark-patinated surface of the bronze lends the figure additional depth and makes the fine relief details stand out with particular plasticity.
Judging by the patina, this hand-crafted one-of-a-kind piece was created around the 1920s. As a symbol of wisdom, long life, and Daoist philosophy, Laotse is one of the most popular motifs in East Asian bronze art, and this Chinese Laotse Figure Made of Bronze captivates both through its decorative, self-contained presence and through the high quality of its craftsmanship.
