A bronze figure of Wenchang


Late Ming DynastyThe seated figure wearing a hat and elaborate robes with voluminous sleeves cascading down over the legs, and a wide low belt, incised with dragons chasing flaming pearls, incised signature to the reverse xue mingyang zhi, pierced rootwood stand.21cm (8 1/4in) high (2).
|Wenchang, who was believed to have power over the destinies of scholars and officials, was one of the most popular gods in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. He was venerated above all by those in need of help with examinations, particularly the official exams for the jinshi degree which was the essential requirement for a career in the Chinese official bureaucracy. The origin stories of Wenchang are diverse; one tale names him as the war hero Zhang Yazi who died during the rebellion against Emperor Fu Jian in 374. Another story from the Book of Emperor Zi Tong paints him as a filial child: "Wenchang had a mature mind at birth. His mother breastfed him even though she was perilously ill and malnourished. In the middle of the night, Wenchang cut flesh from his own thighs and fed it to his mother. She was then cured of her illness."