A PARTIALLY GILT WOOD SCULPTURE OF ZENWU
China, Ming-Qing dinasties, XVII-XVIII secolo

The sculpture depicting a male character sitting on a rock, his torso slightly twisted to the left, his right leg raised to the knee and his left foot resting on a turtle, the entire external surface covered with polychrome and gilding.

38 cm high

Provenance: Fabrizio Savi collection, acquired in the early 2000s.

Zenwu is a deity of the Taoist pantheon, particularly revered in the 17th century when he was considered the protector of the country and of the imperial family. It is usually depicted while trampling on a turtle, an animal that has always been associated with the north and therefore with the northern borders of the empire that often suffered the incursions of barbarians.