A LACQUER-GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF GUANDI, MING DYNASTY China, 1368-1644. The God of War wearing a finely incised robust armor underneath a long flowing robe decorated in front with a coiled dragon. The face with a fierce expression and well-groomed beard, the hair pulled up and hidden under a cloth cap. Provenance: Hungarian private collection. Condition: Superb condition with minor wear and few small losses to the back only. Weight: 2,660 g Dimensions: Height 29.5 cm Guandi is the deified name of Guan Yu, who was the renowned third century general of the state of Shu, popularized by the fourteenth century historical novel Sanguo Yan Yi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms). He is reputed to have been killed along with his adopted son Guan Ping and his trusted general Zhou Cang in Jingzhou by the army of Sun Quan, ruler of the state of Wu. By the Sui dynasty, Guan Yu had become deified. While his actions are reputed to be overly exaggerated in later accounts of his life, Guandi remains one of the most popular Chinese historical figures, and to this day is worshipped by Daoist and Buddhist practitioners as a guardian deity. Auction result comparison: Compare with a related, slightly larger Guandi bronze sold by Christie's New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art (Parts I & II) on 22-23 March 2012, lot 1775, for USD $68,500. 漆金關帝銅像，明代 中國，1368-1644。戰神身穿堅固盔甲，外有長袍，盔甲上飾有盤繞的龍。 臉部表情兇猛，鬍鬚整齊，頭髮被束入帽下。 來源：匈牙利私人遺產 品相：品相極好，輕微磨損，只在背部有些微小缺損 重量：2,660 克 尺寸：高29.5 厘米