Guan Di thumbnail 1
Guan Di thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
China, Room 44, The T.T. Tsui Gallery

Guan Di

Figure of Guandi

Guan Di, the God of War, is a popular figure in Chinese mythology and culture. His image comes from an historical figure, Guan Yu (about 161-220), a general who helped Liu Bei to establish the Shu Han dynasty in AD 221. After his death, he was venerated as a loyal and righteous figure, until he was given the title of an emperor in AD 1594. With the name Guan Di, he was worshipped in temples and households as the daoist God of War and patron of honest merchants.

In addition to large statues placed in city's temples, smaller wooden or porcelain images of Guan Di were made for worship. In this example, produced at the Dehua kilns in southern China around 1600-1650, Guan Di is depicted wearing a scholar's gown over a full armour. The figure would have been placed on an altar in a household or in a temple.

Object details

Object type
Figure of Guandi
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Figure of Guandi
  • Stand
TitleGuan Di (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Porcelain with white glaze
Brief description
Figure of Guan Di, porcelain with white glaze, Dehua, China, Ming-Qing dynasty, ca.1600-50
Physical description
Porcelain figure of a seated Guan Di, with a long beard, wearing a large scholar's robe and a belt with decorative plaques over a full armour; on a wooden stand, elaborately carved with flowers, rocks and ruyi symbols
Gallery label
  • Figure of Guandi Ming-Qing dynasty 1600-1650 Guandi, the Daoist god of war, is here represented with a scholar's robe over his armour. In this attire he was venerated as the patron god of scholars. Porcelain with white glaze Dehua kilns, south China Salting Bequest Museum no. C.544-1910(2009)
  • Figure of Guan Di, glazed porcelain About 1600-1650, Ming dynasty Dehua ware, with the mark of the potter He Chaozong Guan Di, a historical general, was worshipped in later times as a God of War and also as a patron of merchants.(1991)
Credit line
Salting Bequest
Object history
Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Subjects depicted
關帝
巾
帽花
鬚 (人體面部)
袍
腰帶
帶版
鎧甲
綁腿
鞋
垂足坐
坐具
花
石
靈芝
Summary
Guan Di, the God of War, is a popular figure in Chinese mythology and culture. His image comes from an historical figure, Guan Yu (about 161-220), a general who helped Liu Bei to establish the Shu Han dynasty in AD 221. After his death, he was venerated as a loyal and righteous figure, until he was given the title of an emperor in AD 1594. With the name Guan Di, he was worshipped in temples and households as the daoist God of War and patron of honest merchants.

In addition to large statues placed in city's temples, smaller wooden or porcelain images of Guan Di were made for worship. In this example, produced at the Dehua kilns in southern China around 1600-1650, Guan Di is depicted wearing a scholar's gown over a full armour. The figure would have been placed on an altar in a household or in a temple.
Bibliographic references
  • Bushell, Stephen W. Chinese Art. vol. II. London: Victoria & Albert Museum, 1904, fig 9.
  • Ayers, John. Far Eastern Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Sotheby Parke Bernet Publications, 1980, pl. 179 (monochrome plates).
  • Larson, John and Rose Kerr. 'A Hero Restored- the Conservation of Guan Di'. Orientations. July 1991, photo p. 29.
  • Hobson, R.L. Wares of the Ming Dynasty. London: Benn Brothers Ltd., 1923. p. 176.
  • Monkhouse, Cosmo. A History and Description of Chinese Porcelain. London: Cassell and Co., 1901. next to p. 50, fig. 17.
  • Hannover, Emil. Pottery and Porcelain: A Handbook for Collectors, vol. II. London: Earnest Benn Ltd., 1925. p. 99, fig. 147.
  • Borel, Henri in 'Chineesche Keramiek'. Oude Kunst. Haarlem, Netherlands: J.A. Boom, vol. II. pp. 281, 291-2.
  • Batavia, A. in 'Exposition d'art Chinois'. L'Art Flamand et Hollandais, vol. V. Bruxelles: Librairie nationale d'art et d'histoire. pp. 66-67.
  • Honey, W.B. Guide to the Later Chinese Porcelain. London: Board of Education, 1927. pp. 62 and 90, pl. 107.
Collection
East Asia Collection
Accession number
C.544-1910

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Record createdAugust 13, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O165249/guan-di-figure-of-guandi/
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