Seated Figure of Yuanshi Tianzun (Translation)
陳彥清造銅鎏金元始天尊坐像 明十五世紀初 (Primary Title)
Chen Yanqing 陳彥清, Chinese, active early 15th century (Artist)
Yuanshi Tianzun, or Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, is the most significant deity in the Daoist cosmos. Cast hollow, this deity wears a crown and Daoist robe while sitting cross-legged behind a half table. His proportional form, symmetrical posture, and graceful expression reveal his supremacy and compassion. The figure is signed by Chen Yanqing, a Daoist devotee and a renowned sculptor from modern-day Hangzhou in southern China. Gilt bronze figures were used for worship at local temples or personal devotion at home shrines.
Ming dynasty (1368-1644)
陳彥清造 Chen Yanqing zao (made by Chen Yanqing)
None
錢塘陳彥清造 (made by Chen Yanqing from Qiantang).
Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment
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