Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Chinese: Sculpture (11)

Guan yin in cast copper alloy. Incised decoration. True old patina. A little worn normally see pictures. No restoration. She must have been holding an object in her hand which is missing today. Hight: 15cm.

Deity probably Taoist in soapstone. The god is standing, brandishing the Ying and the Yang. It must refer to a specific character and a story or legend. The work is finely executed and the style of the carving is unusual, cartoonish. In addition, the artist allowed himself to cheat by abnormally moving the left ear too close to the eye so that, seen from the front, the face is balanced. Like the columns of Greek temples which are bent to compensate for the optical effect or like certain porches of Renaissance palaces which are also twisted to appear straight. This kind of detail proves that special care has been taken in this sculpture and that it is not one of the low quality ones made in large numbers at the end of the 19th century. Damaged. Head cutted and glued, little missing at dress, impact on Ying & Yang symbol. Look the photos. Sure it's very old but précise datation difficult, seem to me ealier than 18°th but I don't know. Hight about 20cm.

Probably Tibet. Miniature Buddha in cast bronze gilded with the mercury technique. Under the base curiously we can see a Vajra cast in relief. The sculpture is simple rustic, the details are little or not chiseled, however the gilding is of the best quality, very thick and tends to flake.Traces of pigment on hairs and eyes. The style of the base with elephant and Buddhist Lions in front and crosses at the back, makes me think of the 15th century style. No restaurations. Very nice patina really old. Height: 6,6cm

Budai is the Chinese "Père Noël" ,the Japanese calls him Hoteï. He carries toys in a big bag and distributes them to children who adore him and are sometimes represented at his side. The god is seated, his half-open robe reveals his large belly, a symbol of his generosity. He holds his rosary in his hand. Oddly enough his big bag is missing. It is sculpted from a beige steatite ( soap stone) stained with pink, on the skull appear red veins of the stone. The artist knew how to breathe life into this laughing face with communicative joy. It is difficult to date this work precisely, however the simplicity of execution, the absence of mannerism, the wonderfully expressive face as well as a beautiful patina makes us think it is very old. Qing period or before. Good condition, small insignificant accidents that can be seen in photos. No restoration or grinding. H: 90mm W: 90mm

The frames are identically carved with Dragons, Phoenixes, Buddhist Lions, Bats and Sacred Pearls, evolving in the middle of clouds, flames and waves. The quality is exceptional, the details are complex, precise, meticulously carved and the cabinetwork finish is perfect. This high quality leads us to believe that these frames were made in southern China, for example in Canton, rather than in Vietnam. The real work of lace, boldly sculpted, was the work of a workshop accustomed to excellence as were the Chinese workshops of sculptures mainly on ivory, from Canton. It should be noted that such a quality of sculpture is not never found in wood and rarely in ivory. The pediments of the frames present European coats of arms, a motto is inscribed: "Probitas Fons Honoris" and above a series of characters which appear to us to be Hebrew. It is difficult to precisely date such sculptures which could have been executed from the end of the 18th century and throughout the 19th century. The fact that the Dragons only have 4 claws indicates that the ban on 5 claws is still respected, which would credit a creation before the middle of the 19th century. Heraldic research could probably provide a precise date. Dimensions: 280x195mm. Small gaps (see photos).

The head is carved in a grey stone that I think is limestone, it is harder than marble but it can be scratched with a steel tool. The naive sculpture seems to be made by a craftsman who was not a sculptor or a sculptor of a primitive people. It unquestionably represents a Buddha with his third eye in the middle of his forehead. There is some red pigment left in one nostril and in the corner of the mouth.The appearance of the stone seems very old. The style of the hairstyle reminds me of the Tang dynasty but it seems impossible to me that it is Chinese, the same type of wood and the same design as that of pedestals which I believe are found in Indonesia or elsewhere in South-East Asia and on which are mounted indigenous carvings in ivory or deer antlers for export since 1880. It is quite possible that this Buddha, which was life-size, was commissioned by a Chinese expatriate community to a native sculptor who would have done his best. The large eyes, thick lips and pointed skull are rather reminiscent of Africa. It is an intriguing statuary that is certainly unique. High about 35 cm (stone only)

Buddha in bronze cast with lost wax, the casting is of excellent quality, the careful finish, the statuette is full, the openwork base is very thick it is welded to the divinity. The whole is covered by a thick layer of gilding with mercury. There are inlays in semi-precious stones. The glory is also made of very thick cast bronze and is welded to the base. This type of Buddha in this very specific position was made in numerous copies, the emperor having ordered several thousand for the 60th birthday of the empress mother. However, the vast majority of these statuettes are of very low quality, some are simply in embossed copper, others are not gilded or covered with too thin a layer of gilding, most are in fine cast bronze, in several parts, the glories are removable and almost always in embossed copper, the carvings are sloppy. Rare examples are of good quality bearing thick gilding but we do not know of any of the quality of the one we present here. The carvings are admirably executed, this is particularly visible especially on the uprights of the seat whose volutes, ending in a snail shell, are particularly neat, as are the folds of the dress, the jewelry and the crown. The gilding is very thick and required numerous times in the oven, it is slightly worn in places as can be seen in the photos. The inlaid pearls are turquoise, the red ones are probably garnets, but perhaps gold paste. glass, which was much more precious in 18th century China, finally there is a green stone which must be jade. The central flower of the base is missing, as well as the small vase which was placed in the palm of the hand. The statuette suffered an impact, the impact of which is visible under the left breast; it is slightly twisted, the glory is split at the back. All this is visible in the photos. It is a beautiful object worthy of the best Chinese art collections. Height:205mm China 18th century, Qianlong reign.

The sculpture is of excellent quality. The Kouanyin is represented seated in a position of royal relaxation. Very heavy wood is covered with several coats of paint. The details are finely incised but are almost all covered by the paintings. The hand was made apart. The expression of the face is calm, attentive and benevolent. The movement of the fabrics is elegant.Traces of textiles.Yuan style but I am not able to certify the authenticity because there are so many copies. Having said that, all the copies I have seen are ugly and even the best still have some awkwardness that I can't find on mine. I bought it in a house here in France around 1990, but that doesn't prove anything. It can be seen here at the Sakura Conservatory in Nice. An interested buyer can take a piece of wood for dating tests. The wood in good condition just some part broken and glued, very little part wormage (mushroom or insect) Painting missing. Height 103cm Weight: around forty kilos.

Buddha in very heavy cast bronze. Never been gilded. Very nice natural brown patina. Very well known model of the Kien-long period, which usually are gilded and marked with the reign and sometimes dated and which are always in embossed copper (see an example in my collection n°10). The one presented here is in cast bronze. Good condition, some minor wear and shocks, no restoration. Height: 17,6cm Weight: 1490g

This handle is in cast bronze with 2 welded sides and gilded. The carving is of the best quality and the sculptur is powerful, announcing an excellent artist. It must have been part of a very large censer or vase in certainly imperial cloisonné enamel that is somewhere.Certainly Kienlong period or earlier. Hight about 22cm.

Guan Yin in cast bronze. She is holding a stylized flower in her hand which serves as an incense holder. Her long-sleeved dress is reminiscent of the Tang style. Details are incised on the dress, the hair. The old patina is very beautiful corresponding to an object several hundred years old. Must be from the Ming period or earlier. A part of the ribbon is missing (visible on picture)Normal wear for an earlier period Height: 13,5cm Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)