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CHINA - 18th/19th century Ink and colours on silk, depicting…
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Lot no. 271
Estimate: €8,000 - €15,000
Sale date : 12/03/2025 at 1:30 PM
Sale commission
Asian arts
Description
CHINA - 18th/19th century Ink and colours on silk, depicting seven immortals symbolising the northern constellations: Dou, Niu, Nü, Xu, Wei, Shi and Bi, which correspond roughly to the modern constellations of Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pegasus and Andromeda. They are surrounded by dark clouds, each holding his emblem or sacred object. Sight size: 157 x 89 cm Framed under glass. (Small tears and stains). The ancient Chinese divided the sky near the celestial equator and ecliptic into four zones: east, south, west and north, known as the Si Gong (Four Palaces). Each palace comprised seven constellations, making a total of twenty-eight: these are the famous "Twenty-Eight Constellations". The 'Twenty-Eight Constellations' are an essential part of traditional Chinese culture, and have been widely used for thousands of years in astronomy, religion, literature, divination and fengshui. The ancient Chinese believed that each constellation corresponded to a celestial deity, which explains the creation of numerous "paintings of stellar officers" that have come down to us, the oldest of which date back to the beginning of the Tang dynasty. In this painting, the seven deities represented embody the seven constellations of the "Palace of the North" (symbol of winter): Dou, Niu, Nü, Xu, Wei, Shi and Bi. The ancient Chinese associated each stellar officer with a particular animal, which is why each deity is accompanied here by an animal: a xiezhi (mythical creature), an ox, a bat, two swallows, a pig and a chimera. It should be noted that in this painting, the figure of the rat, which should have appeared, has been replaced by a rooster. The cockerel is the symbol of the Mao constellation of the "Palace of the West", which is undoubtedly a misinterpretation on the part of the painter. Expert : Cabinet PORTIER
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