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Pair of red and gold antique carved lions were likely part of a woman’s bed frame to bless and protect its occupants. Each holds a spherical 5-leaf plums as wish for 5 Blessings of Happiness and for passing civilian official exams. Acrylic base.
Delicately carved antique Guanyin in meditation, tall 3-lobed crown with flaring triangles and crosshatches. high forehead and oversized head focuses viewer on beautifully formed, quiet and calm face as model of inner serenity
Given the auspicious images on this finely crafted red and gilt jewelry box, it was probably a wedding gift for a fortunate couple as a wish for fertility, harmony and many and sons. The doors have a carved lotus symbolizing beauty and purity and the top has 5 bats surrounding a longevity roundel. When depicted on a box, it means as “May you have a harmonious marriage with the Five Blessings” (longevity, health, wealth, virtue and a peaceful death) and signifies completeness, togetherness and harmony.
This fine pair of the Kitchen God and his wife are mirror-images of each other seated on backless chairs with multi-sided pedestals and reflect the reverence and solemnity of their responsibility to live above the stove and protect the home. The original lacquer has darkened naturally over time and from exposure to candle and incense smoke leaving a soft patina. The cavity on the male has its original covering while the one on the female is missing, exposing contents inside – a string tied around the script placed by a monk when it was consecrated. Kitchen Gods radiate warmth, especially when placed near the stove and make unique house warming or wedding gifts and add positive chi to any household.
This husband and wife Kitchen Gods are near mirror images with similar layered gold officials’ robes clasped hands covered in ritual cloth. They portray house gods whose future of families are in their hands. They are in excellent condition with fine patinas and both have been consecrated with the consecration script remaining in the wife’s cavity but not in the male’s cavity.
This very fine ladies vanity cabinet is covered with red lacquer, the color of blessings (fu), highlighted with gold and deeply carved and painted decorations of auspicious symbols to bring happiness, good fortune, long life and many sons to the elite couple who may have received it as a wedding gift by parents in hopes of them successfully carrying on the family tradition. This is a reflection of the Confucian belief having sons to carry on the family name is essential to real happiness.
The low profile and fine lacquered finish of this charming antique wood chest add warmth and a touch of antique fine craftsmanship to any setting. The two intricately carved drawers for storage lend it to a multitude of uses. Carved auspicious symbols to bring the Five Blessings or Happinesses include peonies and vines, butterflies, plum blossom and a Japanese lily. The sides have inset panel with florals and the bottom has a decorative apron with a beautiful fretwork vine design. Its warm patina extends to the detailed brass butterfly handles.
This masterfully carved ancestor as a mandarin official sits on horseshoe chair set on a footed high decorated plinth dressed in a well-appointed formal 3-button Mandarin long coat and pointed rattan hat. His face is uniquely and unusually individualized with heavy lidded eyes, in a benevolent expression and his advanced aged indicated by the wrinkles clearly depicting a loved individual. This exquisitely carved image in excellent condition with a fine patina was true homage to a revered family member and is one of our finest ancestor figures.
During the Qing Dynasty, reverence for Mandarin officials and their associated high status with it was so significant that families sought to perpetuate this image through the generations in carved and painted renderings of their ancestors. Ancestor-figures were the highest form of filial piety, and ancestor-worship was a cornerstone of Confucianism. Stuart (p. 82) states…
The origins of Nuo Opera, performed in provincial villages in Southern China since antiquity, is found in spirit and ancestor worship and Taoism. Performances use a few dozen to 200 masks having distinctive facial features, decorations, regional and ethnic individuality and aesthetic diversity. Usually carved from poplar or willow which are light and less likely…
This amusing antique Nuo Opera mask portrays Tudi Gong, the benevolent Earth god with a smiling animated face, long eyebrows, a hemp beard and large ears wearing a high decorative hat. Tudi is a zhengshen, a god who is kindly, honest with a gentle disposition, symbolizing the great power of good, through which evil can be defeated. Nuo was popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties and although they are still performed in rural areas, there are few remaining troupes.
This ancestor statue emphasizes his status as an official. official’s pose holding us his belt of office, official’s hat and boots, worn only by those who could afford them. high on his forehead which also represents his officialdom, as the word “hat” (guan) is a homophone of the word “official.” The inscriptions on the back of the chair which are too faded to read indicate it was consecrated and probably were a dedication from the family who commissioned it to placed on the home altar.
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