China, c. 1600. Finely painted in polychrome pigments, with details gilded and meticulously highlighted in gesso relief, this artwork depicts three celestial maidens presenting offerings. One maiden holds a box, another a cloud-form pendant, and the third a banner attached to a stick. Each figure is adorned in long, flowing robes and billowing scarves, complemented by elaborate high chignons secured by intricate floral headdresses. The background is richly textured with thick, swirling clouds, adding depth and a sense of ethereal movement to the scene.

Provenance: Galerie 41, Monaco, 2005. A private collection in London, United Kingdom, acquired from the above. A copy of the signed invoice from Galerie 41, dated 19 October 2005, confirming the dating above, and stating a purchase price for the present lot of EUR 21,000 or approx. EUR 31,000 (adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Wear, few faint cracks, some fading to pigment, encrustations, tiny losses, scratches, nicks, some flaking with associated touchups, all as expected.

Dimensions: Image size 98 x 57 cm, Size incl. frame 107.3 x 66.5 cm

Mounted in an old, gilt-lacquered hardwood frame, with an openwork brass hook for suspension, dating from the late Qing to the earlier Republic period. (2)

The present stucco fresco was inspired by earlier depictions of Buddhist deities, like the ones seen in the Mogao grottoes at Dunhuang. Ming painters of Buddhist subjects sought to mimic the style of the Tang dynasty artist Wu Daozi, considered a master of Buddhist mural paintings. Examples of Ming paintings executed in the tradition of Wu are discussed in ‘Latter Days of the Law: Images of Chinese Buddhism 850-1850’ by Helen Foresman, Spencer Museum of Art, Kansas, 1995, pages 55 and 446. Followers also studied and adhered to Wu's Eight Classes of Supernatural Beings (Tian Long Ba Bu Zhen Ji), whose classification included ‘celestial beings, musical demigods, and mythical bird-gods’.

Literature comparison:
Compare the sculpture and murals in Cave 57 of the Mogao grottos at Dunhuang, illustrated in Roderick Whitfield et. al., Cave Temples of Mogao, Art and History on the Silk Road, Los Angeles, 2000, p. 37, as well as the murals of bodhisattva in caves 172 and 199, illustrated in Chang Shuhong, The Art Treasures of Dunhuang, Hong Kong and New York, 1981, paying close attention to the garments and ornamentation of the figures.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 17 March 2021, lot 246
Price: USD 15,120 or approx. EUR 16,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A polychrome stucco fresco fragment, Yuan-Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related motif and manner of painting. Note the size (83.1 x 52.5 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s London, 4 November 2021, lot 354
Estimate: GBP 40,000 or approx. EUR 58,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A polychrome stucco fresco fragment, Yuan/Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related motif and manner of painting. Note the size (153 x 86 cm).