Zhenwu, blanc de chine/dehua. Sen Mingdynasti, 1600-tal.

The Collection of Ivan Traugott (I.T. 732). Purchased at Pergamenter, Berlin 1917. Traugott was a Swedish businessman and important art collector. A large part of his collections can be seen today at Nationalmuseum and East Asian Museum in

Compare a similar figure in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, Accession Number: 79.2.481.

The tortoise at the base of the sculpture identifies this figure as Zhenwu, an important Daoist deity who also was worshipped in Buddhist traditions. Zhenwu became particularly popular during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when he was revered as a protector of both the state and the imperial family. His role as a guardian reflects his association with the north, the direction from which China was constantly threatened by neighboring peoples from Central Asia.