The warlord is depicted seated in a frontal pose, clad in armour and a loose fitted robe. Glazed in the colours aubergine, yellow and turkoise. Height 20 cm.
Small repair to the left arm by elbow. Loss of glaze, wear, fine crazing.
Purchased in London from Robert Mc Pherson Antiques.
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Guan Yu played a significant role in the events leading up to the end of the Han dynasty and the establishment of Liu Bei's state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period.
His story is told in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, his deeds and moral qualities have been given immense emphasis, making Guan Yu a popular paradigms of loyalty and righteousness.