When you say you have a collection of rare eighteenth century Chinese porcelain figures, these are not the sort of things that would usually come to mind. Yet that is what they are. These small Christian religious figures are Dehua, more commonly known as Blanc-de-Chine.
Most sellers of these kinds of things list them as late nineteenth century fairings from Staffordshire or Germany. They value them accordingly. Described correctly at one of the big auction houses or by a specialist dealer, the prices for these figures can be quite astounding.
Time and luck have just brought this miniature Pieta to my door. It completes a group of four Dehua figures I challenged myself to complete a few years ago. These same four types are represented in the collection of the British Museum. Those and other Dehua figures can be found by searching the Museum’s collection online.
The Chinese stylistic influence comes through in three of the figures types seen here.
The praying women kneeling on either side of the standing crucifix closely resemble the attendants of the goddess Guanyin. This is no accident. Figures of Guanyin with attendants were also produced at Dehua.
Pietas normally have the Christ figure supported by the Virgin Mary alone. The Dehua version is particularly unusual in that it includes Mary Magdalen as well as the Virgin Mary. Twin attendants once again.
Lastly, there is the mirrored pair of angels holding up the swag in front of the shrine. Need I say it.
6.1 – 9.5 cm in height.
