Antiques, Collectibles and Fine Art Auction
Lot 122:
Yuan Zai (Chinese, active mid-20th c), Portrait of Guan Sheng Dijun (Guan Yu), Dated 1959
Description
A Chinese devotional portrait depicting Guan Yu, venerated as Guan Sheng Dijun, rendered in ink and color on paper. The figure is shown seated and turned slightly in three-quarter profile, dressed in flowing blue robes and a black scholar’s cap, with finely articulated facial features, expressive eyes, and a carefully modelled beard. The restrained background places emphasis on likeness, character, and moral presence, consistent with traditional Chinese portrait conventions.
A vertical calligraphic inscription at the left identifies the subject and the artist, and records the date of execution. Two red seals accompany the inscription. The work is presented in a later frame with mat.
Details
Artist: Yuan Zai
Subject: Guan Sheng Dijun (Guan Yu), deified general and cultural hero
Date: Dated 1959 (first lunar month), inscribed
Medium: Ink and color on paper
Inscriptions: Signed and dated in Chinese characters at left
Seals: Two red seals
Sight Size: approximately 22 x 30 in. (55.9 x 76.2 cm)
Framed Dimensions: approximately 31 x 38.5 in. (78.7 x 97.8 cm)
Presentation: Later frame
Condition: Toning, staining, and surface wear consistent with age; paper shows areas of discoloration. Examined through glass. Frame with wear. Reverse with later paper backing and non-original hanging wire.
Catalogue Note
Guan Yu (d. 219 CE), later deified as Guan Sheng Dijun, occupies a central place in Chinese history, religion, and popular culture, embodying ideals of loyalty, righteousness, and moral integrity. From the late imperial period onward, his image was widely commissioned for temples, private shrines, and domestic worship, often depicted in formal seated portraits emphasizing dignity and authority.
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