1800 (ca.), Itaya Keii Hironaga, Guan Yu -- British Museum (London)
From the museum label: General Guan Yu (about AD 160-219) is one of the heroes of the Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo yanyi), written in the 1300s. He has been worshipped in East Asia as a god of war. Here he sits beside a desk arranged with books and handscrolls. His pole weapon (guandao) leans against the desk, reflecting his strength as a scholar and warrior. He strokes the end of his flowing beard as though contemplating a strategy, in a gesture typical of depictions of him.
1800 (ca.), Itaya Keii Hironaga, Guan Yu -- British Museum (London)
From the museum label: General Guan Yu (about AD 160-219) is one of the heroes of the Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo yanyi), written in the 1300s. He has been worshipped in East Asia as a god of war. Here he sits beside a desk arranged with books and handscrolls. His pole weapon (guandao) leans against the desk, reflecting his strength as a scholar and warrior. He strokes the end of his flowing beard as though contemplating a strategy, in a gesture typical of depictions of him.