Antique Chinese Monkey King Taming Dragon Lacquer Gilt Wood Carving 孫悟空降龍

Antique Chinese Gilt Wood Carving

Sun Wukong 孫悟空
Taming Dragon Horse 降龍馬
Circa: Qing Dynasty, 19th Century and earlier
H 13 in. (33cm), W 9 in. (23cm), D 2.5 in. (6.5cm)
Aged condition, overall very good!

A rare Qing temple statue of a vigorous dragon tamer subduing a ferocious dragon. Sun Wukong 孫悟空, the demon-taming disciple of Tang Sanzang, whose origin is derived from the 16th-century novel Journey to the West 西遊記. The legendary Monkey King is noticeably wearing the magic golden headband that constricts when Sanzang chants an incantation. He appears dignified in an infuriated expression, bulging eyes fiercely glaring down with unwavering intensity, bare-chested with a sinuous sash around his shoulders, wearing a pair of cuirasses leg armors, with one hand seizing the wisdom pearl, another hand grabbing the horn of a powerful dragon, subduing the mythical beast and transforming it into the White Dragon Horse 白龍馬 for Tang Sanzang. The lacquer and gilded wood carving is approximately 200-300 years old— crack lines, wormholes, and minor losses; firm and stable condition.

Carved in round, this statue of Guan Yu is a traditional image of the mythical hero. The statue is deeply incised with an elaborate dragon armor on charcoal black ebony wood, heavy for its size. The polychrome and condition of the statue attributes the carving to the early republic, though stylistically it is of the Ming period (1368-1644).

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