15 An extremely fine and elegant bronze figure of a scholar, seated with his left arm resting on a small rootwood or rockwork table and his right resting on his raised knee. He wears a cloth head-dress, from which two ribbons fall, and long flowing robes, tied at the waist and falling in graceful folds, from which his woven straw shoes protrude. His face is superbly cast with a serene expression to his features and spaces for facial hair. The bronze bears a warm, mellow patina. With a wood stand pierced and worked as rockwork with lingzhi fungus. (A small rectangle 1.8 x 1.2 cm has been removed from the bronze surface on the back of the figure.) Ming dynasty Total height: 7”, 17.8 cm This figure is particularly well executed, the combination of fine form, casting and patina is most unusual. For a related Ming standing figure, but not as fine, see Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, pl. 64, pp. 82-3.