Research dossier and appraisal
This monumental Chinese cloisonné pair represents Lü Dongbin and Lan Caihe, two members of the Daoist Eight Immortals. The assessment is based on overall and detail photography, microscope images of the underside, recorded dimensions and weights, construction details and the transmitted provenance.
1stBuddha asking price: €42,500 for the pair.
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Assessment
The figures are made in cloisonné enamel over a substantial copper-alloy/bronze structure with gilded metal elements. The technical execution, wear pattern, aged patina, closed construction and iconographic programme support a Qing dynasty, 19th-century attribution, with a working date of circa 1850–1900.
Object data
- Origin: China
- Period: Qing dynasty, 19th century
- Working date: circa 1850–1900
- Material: cloisonné enamel, copper alloy/bronze, gilded elements
- Lü Dongbin: H 79 × W 29 cm; 20.8 kg
- Lan Caihe: H 76 × W 34 cm; 20.2 kg
- Combined weight: approximately 41 kg
- Mark: 大清乾隆年製, six-character Qianlong reign mark, treated here as apocryphal
Lan Caihe – the flower basket
Lan Caihe is identified by the distinctive flower basket. The figure is modelled with paired hair knots and an animated asymmetric stance. Within the imagery of the Eight Immortals, the basket is the defining attribute.
Lü Dongbin – scholar and immortal
The male figure is identified as Lü Dongbin: a dignified bearded scholar wearing formal headgear. His robe carries a prominent dragon and a series of symbolic roundels. Within the Ba Xian tradition, Lü Dongbin is especially associated with the sword and with scholarship, spiritual authority and protection.
An Baxian – the Hidden Eight Immortals
The red roundels are not simply ornamental. They contain the An Baxian, the emblematic attributes of the Eight Immortals. These devices form a second iconographic layer across both robes and bind the pair into a coherent Daoist programme.
Qianlong mark
A rectangular metal plaque carries the six characters 大清乾隆年製. The plaque is structurally incorporated into the figure. The dating is not based on the inscription: the technical and stylistic evidence places the ensemble in the 19th century. The mark is therefore recorded as an apocryphal Qianlong reign mark.
Enamel, gilding and surface history
The surfaces preserve a long history of use and restoration. The enamel shows pitting, minor losses, abrasion and areas where the polished surface has receded relative to the metal cloisons. Gilding is worn from raised metal passages, while darker brown and green oxidation has developed in protected recesses. The faces were re-gilded at a later date. Their comparatively even gold surface contrasts clearly with the older patina of the necks, hair, hands and surrounding metalwork.
Closed bases and microscopic examination
The undersides are closed by separately fitted metal plates. Their edge joints show old discoloration, oxidation and wear. No modern screw fixings or fresh machine welds are visible in the areas examined. The microscope photographs document the aged edge surfaces and joins in detail.
Provenance
According to the transmitted history, the pair was already in Europe by the 1960s. It is said to have come from the inventory of a Chinese restaurant owner whose possessions were sold following bankruptcy. The ensemble then remained in one private collection for decades, until the owner's death in 2024. This oral provenance is recorded as supporting context rather than as independent dating evidence.
Asking price
Taking into account the monumental scale, workmanship, iconographic coherence, condition and 19th-century attribution, the current 1stBuddha asking price is €42,500 for the pair.
Final attribution
Monumental Chinese cloisonné enamel and gilt-bronze pair of Lü Dongbin and Lan Caihe, decorated with An Baxian attributes, Qing dynasty, 19th century, circa 1850–1900, bearing apocryphal Qianlong marks.
Method: visual and photographic examination, macro and microscope photography, recorded dimensions and weights, and available provenance information. €42,500 is the current 1stBuddha asking price.