Kuan Ti, God of War, on Horseback, Ming Enamel on Biscuit, Plate 1911

An original color plate of 1911 from Gorer and Blacker's book of Chinese ceramic art, this sheet is given over to a figure of Kuan Ti, god of war, mounted on a horse, enameled on the biscuit. He wears a green cap with a yellow fillet and green lozenge armor with a blue lion mask clasp, his hands now empty; the horse is a delicate marbled aubergine with green and yellow harness. The face, beard, cape, belt, trousers and horse's tail are left plain. Gorer and Blacker describe it as Ming period and record it in the collection formed by Richard Bennett.

This is one of the two hundred and fifty four color plates in Chinese Porcelain and Hard Stones, published in London by Bernard Quaritch in 1911 for Edgar Gorer and J. F. Blacker. The piece was photographed and the plate printed in color, so the glaze, the palette and the modeling of the original are carried over directly rather than interpreted by a draftsman. Each plate faced a page of description in English and French. The plates are color collotypes, and the book records that it was produced and printed by the Menpes Printing and Engraving Company of London and Watford.

Edgar Gorer (1872 to 1915) was a London dealer in Chinese art. He traded as S. Gorer and Son from 170 New Bond Street, opened a shop at 500 Fifth Avenue in New York, and sold to Sir William Lever, later Lord Leverhulme. He was lost on 7 May 1915 when the Lusitania was torpedoed.

Even age toning. Handling soiling along the bottom edge. Scattered light foxing in the margin. All four corners complete. One larger brown mark.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.