Carved wood with original lacquer gilding, the base for the center piece with original cinnabar red lacquer coating, overall reticulated sculptural carving. China, late Qing dynasty

One of the Ten Bulls or Ten Ox Herding Pictures (shíniú) carrying a lotus throne for the shrine centerpiece, sided by two coiled dragons as protectors, amid several stylized clouds, topped by a palatial canopy. The Ten Bulls is a series of short poems and accompanying pictures used in the Zen tradition to illustrate the stages of a practitioner’s progression towards the purification of the mind and enlightenment, as well as his or her subsequent return into the world while acting out of wisdom.

Shape: Elongated vertical shape, the backside with three metal hooks for suspension
Dimensions: 101 x 41 x 29 cm.
Condition: Good condition with minor chipping and abrasion to lacquer here and there, some smaller pieces replaced.
Provenance/labels: German private collection. Old Chinese paper label to backside.
Literature comparison: Sothebys, Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 13 JUL 2005, LONDON, lot 393. (for a smaller shrine from the same period)

清代木雕蓮座佛龕
品相良好，些微磕損，局部漆彩剝落，一些小部件更換過
法國私人收藏