Celestial Blessings Guan Gong Figurine SM
SKU
017980
A$ 1,573.00
Size:
H24.5cm x 13cm x 13cm
Having captured the general Guan Gong, in an episode recounted in the 14th century historical work Romance of the Three Kingdoms, warlord Cao Cao forces him to share sleeping quarters with the wives of the general’s sworn brother. Guan Gong chooses instead to station himself outside throughout the night to avert any implication of impropriety.
Xu Xiao Yong’s Guan Gong sits stroking his beard deep in thought whilst reading the Spring and Autumn Annals as he guards the women’s honour, a visual depiction of his rectitude. The general’s commanding posture and expression of placid absorption, his ornate battle attire, the legendary Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and the tiger skin on which he sits, are sculpted to great effect.
Guan Yu 關羽 served as a military general during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 CE – 220 CE). A well-known historical figure and folk hero, he became a semi-fictional character in classical Chinese literature, and was eventually deified as Guan Gong (關公 Lord Guan). Chinese society reveres him as an upholder of good and defender of integrity, personifying loyalty, courage and righteousness.
About the collection
Celestial Blessings by Xu Xiao Yong commemorates the mythologies and deities of Chinese culture. Lauded as one of China’s top sculptors, Xu is the recipient of numerous arts-related awards and serves as a member of the United Nations Arts Initiative.