Ancient Chinese Fresco (Stucco) Polychrome Fresco painting with a Celestial Deity playing the Chinese cymbals - 102×72×3 cm - (1)

Description A polychrome fresco painting with a celestial deity playing the Chinese cymbals, with textural details picked out in gesso relief. The cymbals embellished with gold foil. Attired in a flowing robe with sashes, the demigoddess is crowned by an elaborate headdress and shown standing on a terrace with vines and leaves hanging from above. Old hardwood frame with heavy bronze fitting. The frame is coffered on the backside and can be opened by activating an integrated mechanism. Chinese Musical Demigods are inspired by earlier depictions of Buddhist deities, like the ones seen in the Mogao grottoes at Dunhuang. Ming painters of Buddhist subjects sought to mimic the style of the Tang dynasty artist Wu Daozi, considered a master of Buddhist mural paintings. ! ! ! IMPORTANT ! ! ! SIZE OF Fresco WITHOUT FRAME : 102 cm X 72 cm Datation 13th - 16th century Bibliography Compare the present frescoes with the murals in the Mogao grottoes at Dunhuang, Cave 57, illustrated in Roderick Whitfield ‘Cave Temples of Mogao, Art and History on the Silk Road’, Los Angeles, 2000, page 37, and the Bodhisattva murals in caves 172 and 199, illustrated in Chang Shuhong ’The Art Treasures of Dunhuang’, Hong Kong and New York, 1981, which pay specifically close attention to the garments and ornamentation of the figures. Art market For similar period and quality even if different and to compare on actual market please check S o t h e b y ' s New-York auction important chinese art lot number 816 - 11 september 2019 check picture. Condition Good condition with rubbing, soiling, crackling and losses. A few spots here and there. The colors possibly a bit faded in some areas. The gold foil partially lost. Absolutely original, no restoration whatsoever. Possibly a few minuscule touchups to the background, but this is impossible to confirm, because nothing shows under even the strongest ultraviolet light. Please check pictures for global condition and consider this piece as a minimum of 500 years. Provenance A French private collection. Old inventory number 29. 6 painted to frame. By repute, this is referring to an original acquisition date of June 1929. Delivery For Luxembourg the delivery will be made by the seller. For other countries delivery made by Fedex ! ! ! Important ! ! ! When the purchased item requires it, a wooden box / MDF will be realized implying a delay of 5 to 7 working days before shipping. Shipping cost will be applied per item. Therefore, if a buyer buys multiple pieces this amount will be charged per item regardless of the number of items purchased. Follow-up of the shipment by tracking, transport insurance for the amount of the sale excluding Catawiki commission.