Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (424)

This rare carved walrus tusk of a pine tree boat is a late 19th century product. It depicts 13 young female fairies riding on a pine tree covered boat crossing the ocean. They are engaged in playing musical instruments, chess and painting. In Chinese culture, the pine tree represents longevity because it is evergreen and lives for a long time. Showing a rich patina, the carving is elegant, and superb. It is 6 ¼” long, 2” wide and 2 ½” high...

This nicely executed ivory carving of a geisha is a late Meiji period (1868~1911) product. It depicts a formally dressed geisha holding a flower in her right hand and an umbrella in her left hand. It is 6 ¼” high, 1 ¾” wide and 1 ½” thick. The artist’s signature, “Masayuki,” is on the bottom. Aside from some hair line cracks due to age, it is in great condition.

This superb ivory carving of Guan Yin is an early 20th century product. It is 12 ¼” high (wood base is not included), 2 ¾” wide (from bottom) and 2 1/8” thick (from bottom). It depicts Guan Yin (goddess of mercy) holding a young child. The laughing child carries a lotus blossom and leaf. Guan Yin is riding on the back of a carp with a dragon head surrounded by waves and lotus...

This gourd cricket cage is a late 19th or early 20th century product. It is 4 ½” long and 2” wide from the top. The rim and lid were made of ivory and carved hard wood. A gourd is grown inside a carved wooden form(s) to create a patterned or shaped body. This cage does not have pattern or design but has a very nice balanced, shaped and light brown body. The ivory rim and lid are in great condition as well. There are no repairs, chips or crack lines.

This two handled bronze hand warmer is a late 19th century product. It is 5” long, 4” wide and 2 5/8” high (with handle standing is 4” high). It has a cut out geometric pattern and plain body. There is a maker’s name “Zhang Ming Qi” etched on the bottom. Zhang Ming Qi was a well known bronze maker during 17th or 18th century. But this is a late 19th century copy where the crafts person used the master’s name and style in this studio work...

This very nice carved bamboo arm rest is an early 20th century product. It is 11 1/8” long, 2 ¾” wide and a quarter of an inch thick. It depicts two elders and one young servant sitting under bamboo and pine trees which are beneath a cloud covered mountain. There are five characters and a seal carved on the top...

These rare ivory carvings of two immortals are early 20th century products. The male immortal is Lu Dongbin; he is 8 ¾” high (with base is 10” high), 3” wide 2 ½” thick. The female is He Xiangu; she is 8 ¾” high (with base is 10” high), 3” wide 2 ½” thick. Lu Dongbin ( 呂洞賓 ) is one of the most widely known of the group of deities known as the “Eight Immortals” and considered by some to be the leader...

This superb ivory carving of a Chinese legendary figure Tie Gui Li is a late 19th or early 20th century product. It is 11 3/4” tall (including base); without the base it is 10” high, 2 3/4” wide and 2 1/8” in depth. The statue presents a legendary Chinese character who is a member of the eight immortals. According to legend, one day he told his follower that his spirit was going to travel far away. He asked the young follower to watch over his body for seven days while he was away...

This celadon jade carving of a vessel with lid is a late 19th or early 20th century product. The vessel is called a "ding;" 鼎 a "Taotie" 饕餮 mask appears on both sides of the vessel. It is 5 ½” high (with carved hard wood base is 6 ¾” high), 7 ¾” wide and 2” thick. A ding is an ancient Chinese cauldron with legs, a lid and two handles opposite each other. They were made in two shapes with round vessels having three legs and rectangular ones four...

This 19th-century bamboo carving represents an old sage leaning on a broom as if he has drifted into thought once he finished sweeping. He has been there long enough for one fresh leaf to fall. This figure evokes the well-known maxims for good living written by Zhu Bolu (1617-1688), which begin: Rise with daybreak; sweep the courtyard and clean the house thoroughly. . . . For every bowl of rice, think how hard it is to grow the grain...

This nice Japanese carved ivory Okimono group is an early 20th century piece. The base is 9” long and 6 ½“ wide. The sitting merchant is 4 ¾” tall, 3” wide and 2 ½“ in depth. It depicts a smiling old man holding a tobacco pipe and displaying his merchandise in the market. The signature is placed on a small red rectangular hard stone which is inlayed on an oval ivory piece. It reads “SHOZAN”. It is in excellent condition.

This interesting and finely carved Japanese ivory okimono is a mid-19th century product. It is 4 7/8” high, 2 3/8” wide and 1 ¼” thick. It depicts one adult and two youngsters engaged in the pastime of catching bugs. One boy, on the back of the adult, waves a fly swatter in his left hand while his right hand grabs at a dragonfly over his head that is trying to escape. The second boy stands next to them straining to hold up the long insect-catching bamboo pole. The expressions on their fac...

This peach bloom glazed vase (mei ping) is a late 19th century product. It is 6 ¾” high, 2” wide from the middle, 1” wide from the bottom and 1 5/8” wide from the mouth of the vase. There is a six character blue under glaze KangXi honorable mark on the bottom. There are two spiral stretch lines inside the narrow neck but did not show from the outside. It is in great condition.

This 19th century sterling silver paper weight is 8 15/16” long, 15/16” wide and 1/8” thick. The raised images on the bar depict a young immortal sitting under an old pine tree. He has just opened a magic round box from which bats, the symbol of good luck, are flying. A crane, the symbol of longevity, is standing on a pine tree branch over the young immortal. The images on the paper weight recall a traditional story of “Two Immortals of Harmony and Unity.” In the story, one immor...

This interesting Japanese carved ivory netsuke is a late 19th or early 20th century product. It depicts a female figure (perhaps Okame, also known as Uzume or Otafuku, goddess of mirth) carrying a long armed monkey on her back. A younger monkey is sitting in front of her with both arms raised to grasp the hands of the older monkey. It is 2 ¾” high, ¾” wide and ½” thick. The artist signature “Meigyoku” is on the bottom. It is in great condition.

This early 20th century carved ivory netsuke is 3” high, 1 ¼” wide and 1” thick from the top. It depicts a standing westerner carrying a child on his back with his right arm; his left hand is holding a peach. The artist signature “Okatu” is on the bottom of his robe. It is in great condition.

This wood carving of a RuYi scepter with hard stone inset is a late 19th or early 20th century product. It is 14” long and 3 ¾” wide from the head of the scepter. It depicts several Lingzhi around an old tree branch. In Chinese mythology, Linzhi is a supernatural mushroom and represents longevity. There is a carved Lingzhi shape hard stone inset on the scepter head. It is in very good condition.

This finely carved noble lady is a mid or late 19th century product. It is 12” high, 2 ¾” wide and 2 3/8” thick. There is an honorable “Yong Zheng” mark on the bottom. The lady is holding a bunch of lily blossoms in her left hand and a basket of peony blossoms in her right hand. The statue has great patina. Aside from some loss of coloring and a small old repair to a broken tassel on the front of her robe, it is in excellent condition.