Pan Zuyin 潘祖蔭 (1830-1890). - Lot 350

Pan Zuyin 潘祖蔭 (1830-1890). The arrival of happiness and the coming of joy, 慈禧皇太后之寶. Dated 12th year of Guangxu, September 29, 1886 (vertical inscription at left). 光緒 十二年 九月 二十九日 御筆. Printed on paper, mounted on vertical roll. Main seal top center: Empress Cixi's Treasury 潘印祖蔭. Seal: artist's name, Pan Zuyin, 潘祖蔭. Seals top left: purity, serenity, 澂心正性. harmony, happiness, longevity, 和樂仁壽. Vertical inscription lower right: the Taoist priest Zhong Kui with the expressive image created by (the painter) Wu Daozi, equipped with the talisman, under the happy auspices of Shen Shu and Yu Lu (guardian deities of the gates). 道士鍾馗進士開元日 手握靈符帋硬黃 付興傳神吳道子 神荼鬱律共呈祥 劉根丹篆三千字 郭璞青囊兩卷書 何似先生能鎮惡 白雲仙洞有巖居. The painting depicts the exorcist deity Zhong Kui, created by the painter Wu Daozi at the request of the Tang emperor, Xuanzong (685-762). Xuanzong, who was ill, had a nightmare in which a spirit in the guise of the student Zhong Kui promised to drive evil spirits out of the empire. The emperor wakes up cured and orders the painter Wu Daozi to paint a picture of Zhong Kui. The figure became a protector. Pan Zuyin 潘祖蔭 was a late Qing dynasty politician (chairman of the Works Council, Gongbu shangshu 工部尚書, chairman of the War Council Bingbu shangshu 兵部尚書 and grand advisor Junji dachen 軍機大臣) and collector of antiquities. Dimensions: 159x74 cm. Provenance: acquired in 1978. (Mounting and work in poor condition, missing, torn, damp stains).