A CHINESE BRONZE 'LAOZI AND BUFFALO' GROUP

£2,000 - £3,000 £3,150

A CHINESE BRONZE 'LAOZI AND BUFFALO' GROUP
MING DYNASTY

The Daoist sage wears flowing robes and holds a scroll in his left hand, sitting on the back of a recumbent water buffalo, the metal with a brownish-black patina and traces of malachite encrustations, together with a wood stand, 1.2kg, 19cm. (2)

Provenance: from an English private collection, Sussex.

Laozi is a semi-legendary philosopher and is regarded as the founder of Daoism. According to legend Laozi became disillusioned with the corruptness at the Zhou dynasty court and abandoned his position there as a record keeper. He rode away on a water buffalo to the West, only to be recognised by a border official at the Hangu Pass who asked him to write down his wisdom. It is believed that what he wrote became the Daodejing, the sacred text of Daoism.

明銅老子騎牛像
來源：英國薩克塞斯郡私人收藏。