He Chaozong

Dehua statuary of the period and those later. They are thickly potted and exhibit an artistic expressiveness and creativity unmatched by thinner and standardized unsigned works. He Chaozong and the few other artists of the Dehua kilns were nearly unique in Chinese ceramic history which was characterized by anonymous and industrial scale production. Blumenfield in his Blanc de Chine presents the reader with what may be one of the few believable examples of the artist, replete with a hidden inscription visible to ultraviolet light. Of great interest is the manner of carving of the piece which shows none of the exuberant flowing robes of other examples of the master that may be simply just superficially attractive to the eye. Of additional interest in the Blumenfield book is the He Chaozong seal impressed on an additional Guanyin

Manjusri statue presented here. The accompanying thinly potted Guanyin statue displays the typical Dehua gourd seal above the He Chaozong square seal, an indication of an even later period of production. The Manjusri statue is heavily potted, clearly a revival piece and perhaps a close recreation of the original master. It bears a single He Chaozong seal. Both statues appear the products of the same ceramic studio, if not the same artist. The Manjusri statue shows none of the mannerism of robes characteristic of many late Ming and early Qing