{"product_id":"the-planetary-deity-chenxing-mercury-attended-by-a-monkey-circa-1700-1750-a-beautifully-produced-painting-after-a-southern-song-dynasty-composition","title":"The Planetary Deity Chenxing (Mercury) Attended by a Monkey, Circa 1700-1750. A Beautifully Produced Painting after a Southern Song Dynasty Composition","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe Planetary Deity Chenxing (Mercury) Attended by a Monkey, Circa 1700-1750. A Beautifully Produced Painting after a Southern Song Dynasty Composition\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: After Zhang Sigong; Stated Attribution to Zhao Mengfu; After Kano Tan’yu; Likely Kano School Artist\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Very Good\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eAn Early to Mid Edo Period, 18th century painting, being a copy of a Southern Song Dynasty Painting of the Planetary Deity Chenxing, attended by a very surly monkey holding an inkwell for her.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe painting has been beautifully produced, with much of the deity’s appearance and vestments enhanced and highlighted in golden ink, and the painting faithfully copying the original quite nicely.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe original painting appears to be a 13th century example attributed to \u003cb\u003eZhang Sigong\u003c\/b\u003e, now held in the MFA Boston. This example, while being a close copy, seems to be somewhat more identical to a later, Early Edo copy produced by \u003cb\u003eKano Tan’yu\u003c\/b\u003e, and sold at the November 7th, 2013 Japanese Art Sale at Bonhams, being lot 334. I would presume another Kano School artist likely produced their copy based upon the Tan’yu example.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe painting also bears a signature for that of the famed Yuan Dynasty artist Zhao Mengfu, but this is improbable, as it is not in his style, nor of the period. There are several collector seals as well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eIt should be noted that while the practice of adding signatures of early Chinese artists is more commonly seen with later Chinese produced copies, it isn’t inherently out of the question for a Japanese painter to have added the artist signature of Zhao Mengfu to this painting. The heavy usage of golden ink is also something which would be much more typical of a Japanese artist, and less a Chinese artist.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe painting has been neatly mounted onto a brocade decorated \u003ci\u003ekakejiku\u003c\/i\u003e (hanging scroll), with \u003ci\u003ejikusaki\u003c\/i\u003e (knobs) made of lacquered wood. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eOne painting mounted on a \u003ci\u003ekakejiku\u003c\/i\u003e (hanging scroll), 220 x 73 cm full size, 116 x 59 cm main painting\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThis painting is in very good shape, with minor creasing. There are very light levels of cracking to the painting, but no notable loss.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"That Guy With The Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51634169905463,"sku":null,"price":15000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0281\/1589\/4371\/files\/20260105_165024.jpg?v=1769918158","url":"https:\/\/thatguywiththebooks.com\/products\/the-planetary-deity-chenxing-mercury-attended-by-a-monkey-circa-1700-1750-a-beautifully-produced-painting-after-a-southern-song-dynasty-composition","provider":"That Guy With The Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}