**A Famille Rose Coral-Gilt Porcelain Figure of Zhong Kui Drunk**
19th–20th Century
Height: 10.5 cm (4.13 in)
The theme of drunken Zhong Kui is a long-standing favourite in Chinese porcelain sculpture since the Qing dynasty. The Palace Museum in Beijing holds a Kangxi-era famille-rose prototype of this subject, modelled reclining against rockwork with wine cup, integrated with attached vases and water receptacles. It established the distinctive Qing scholar’s object formula merging decorative figure and practical stationery, widely followed by later Jingdezhen potters. This example faithfully carries on that tradition: Zhong Kui leans lazily on textured rockwork, eyes closed in tipsy repose, holding a wine cup. He wears a vermilion robe finely gilt with dragons and cloud scrolls, accented with yellow and pale turquoise trim; his beard is rendered in layered black enamel with a lifelike face, characteristic of Republican-period Jingdezhen ceramic sculpture. The rock base is washed in ink tones imitating Taihu stone, fitted with a celadon gourd flower holder painted with an iron-red bat emblem for blessing, alongside a small waterpot for ink grinding. The underside retains an old collection label of Bernheimer, the distinguished Munich Asian art dealership, granting it a traceable European provenance. Comparable composite scholar’s porcelain figures appeared in past auctions at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Poly; multi-functional examples of this type are scarcer than standalone figures and sought after by dedicated collectors. Related Republican Jingdezhen scholar sculptures are preserved in the Shanghai Museum and Nanjing Museum for comparison. With well-preserved enamels and gilding, this finely modelled piece carries a canonical theme and solid collecting history, perfect for a traditional scholar’s desk.**References**
1. Auction records: Comparable scholar’s porcelain sculptures of immortals and recluses from the Bernheimer collection appeared at Sotheby’s London 1997 and Christie’s New York 2006 single-owner sales. Christie’s Hong Kong Spring Sale 2016, Lot 3227, offered a related Republican iron-red and gilt figure of drunken Li Bai of closely comparable style. Poly Beijing has also auctioned late Qing examples of this subject. Composite scholar’s pieces integrating figure, waterpot and flower holder are rarer than standalone porcelain figures and keenly sought by specialist collectors.
2. Museum parallels: The Shanghai Museum holds a group of Republican Jingdezhen porcelain scholar-figure desk ornaments of the same composite design. Nanjing Museum preserves Qing-period porcelain sculptures of drunken Li Bai, illustrating the sustained popularity of this iconography from the Qing into the 20th century. Such multi-function porcelain sculptures were favoured for traditional Chinese studies, for flower arranging and ink preparation.
Retaining vibrant enamel and gilt, this example comes with distinguished old European provenance, ideal for display on a scholar’s desk.
Please contact for shipping matters: support@yosemiteauctions.com.
# YOSEMITE AUCTIONS
## CONDITIONS OF SALE
By registering to bid and submitting any bid, the bidder acknowledges acceptance of these Conditions of Sale.
1. **Hammer Price & Buyer’s Premium**
The highest bid accepted by the auctioneer shall be the Hammer Price. A Buyer’s Premium of **28.5%** of the Hammer Price shall be added and forms an integral part of the total purchase price payable by the successful bidder. All applicable taxes, shipping, handling, insurance and other ancillary charges shall be borne by the buyer separately unless otherwise stated.
2. **Payment Obligation**
The successful bidder shall settle the full invoice amount (Hammer Price plus Buyer’s Premium and any other applicable charges) **within seven (7) calendar days from the date of auction / invoice issuance**, by cleared funds. Payment shall be made to YOSEMITE in the currency specified on the invoice.
3. **Default for Non‑Payment**
If full payment is not received within the 7‑day period without prior written consent from YOSEMITE, the buyer shall be in default. YOSEMITE reserves all rights, including but not limited to cancelling the sale, re‑offering the lot for auction or private sale, retaining any deposit, and claiming damages, costs and legal expenses arising from such default.
4. **Title & Collection**
Title to the lot shall not pass to the buyer until YOSEMITE has received full cleared payment. The buyer shall arrange collection or shipment of the lot promptly after completed payment. Storage fees may accrue for lots not collected within the time notified by YOSEMITE.
5. **Condition & Disclaimer**
All lots are sold “as is, where is”. Descriptions in catalogue, online listing or verbal statements are for reference only and do not constitute a warranty of authenticity, condition, age or attribution. Bidders are responsible for inspecting the lot before bidding. YOSEMITE shall not be liable for any defects or omissions in description.
6. **Bidding Authority**
The auctioneer has absolute discretion to refuse any bid, withdraw any lot, split or combine lots, and resolve any bidding dispute. Telephone, absentee and online bids are accepted as a convenience and YOSEMITE shall not be liable for failed transmission or execution of such bids.
7. **Governing Law**
These Conditions of Sale shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law agreed by YOSEMITE.
Receiving company name: Yosemite Auctions LLC. Receiving account: 157543448235. Swift Code: USBKUS44IMT. Receiving bank address: U.S. Bank, 800 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55402. * Paying within 7 days will enjoy a 1.5% commission discount policy.