Candleholder in the Form of a Kneeling Figure

ca. 475 BCE-221 BCE

The figure kneels on a cushion with arms outstretched holding a pole on top of which is a bowl used as a lamp. The Sinicised face is crowned with symmetrically arranged hair and a square hat secured with straps at the sides and under the chin. Clad in a long-sleeved tunic held at the waist by a broad belt, the figure can be seen as a gentleman intent on complying with the Confucian precepts. Like the veins of jade, whose course and arrangement determine the harmony of this stone endowed with magic properties, human compliance with the Confucian rules ensured the lasting harmony of the world.

Artwork Details