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Subject:Re: wisemen reverse painted on glass
Posted By: Bill H Tue, Feb 07, 2017
This looks to be a depiction of the red-faced Chinese God of War Guan Gong (關公 - AKA Guan Yu - 關羽) alongside two other heroes of the Warring States Period, Zhang Fei (張飛 - at left with halberd) and Liu Bei (劉備) at right. These three swore the Peach Garden Oath at the beginning of the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'. The inscription at the top of the picture is 尹帝聖關, read from the right as 'Guan Sheng Di Yin', which is a title of Guan Gong that reads to the effect of 'Lord Guan Emperor and Ruler'. These three are seen frequently pictured together as symbols of heroism; a triple dose of the right stuff for fans of Chinese classics.
The picture doesn't appear to be very old or of great intrinsic worth, but certainly makes a nice conversation piece to 'guard' a Chinese antique collection.
Best regards,
Bill H.
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