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This ancient serving plate is remarkable for its survival, size, stamped designs and graceful simplicity. It is known as ARS (African Red Slip). Platters of this size are rare and, when they are found, they are usually in multiple broken pieces that have significant losses.
Although this wonderfully carved antique figure portrays an ancestor depicted as an official, his atypically benevolent and finely modeled face makes him a very endearing figure. Old and weathering from age in its rear, this piece was repainted probably in the 20th century, as was always periodically done with old figures with losses, here especially due to the seasonal South China climate. With his individualized convincing features, he is a very relatable rather than authoritarian figure, possibly resulting from the affection of the family that commissioned it.
This exceptional Qing carving portrays a seated official ancestor wearing traditional official’s clothing, a red and black official’s hat and black boots. His inset glass eyes and high cheekbones frame a large curved nose, a strong projecting chin and forehead wrinkles indicating a man of importance with the wisdom of age who demands respect. The top two robe layers have wide borders with marvelous raised lacquer decorations that include beautiful cloud forms, flying phoenixes with spread wings and floral sprays.
This rare fine woodcarving represents Chou Ts’ang, the aide-de-camp to Guandi, the most revered military hero in Chinese history. Portrayed with black skin tones, he has an intense expression highlighted by inset glass eyes and wears a military uniform with raised beads bordering his topcoat tied above his waist, a belt below his stomach, and heavy black military boots and hat. The sword he originally held is now missing. His plain round pedestal has an indentation in the middle, possibly to affix the figure to a larger configuration.
This fine woodcarving is Chou Ts’ang, the aide-de-camp and attendant to Guandi, the most revered and well-known military hero in Chinese history and the Taoist God of War. As an attendant his hands held together and eyes down cast in respect and legs firmly planted on the ground. His protective military clothing and heavy boots presented in detail and the high red and black pedestal with painted gold florals make him a key figure even though the figure of Guandi he attends would have been much larger and important.
This lovely carving of a beautiful young woman represents an attendant that would have been housed on a home altar or shrine to accompany an enlightened Buddhist or Taoist figure at whom she modestly gazes. Her hands, covered by a draped ritual cloth, hold offerings and the swirling ribbon implying her power, weightlessness or being in the heavens. This truly elegant and forceful statue with winding ribbons reflect the auspicious phrase “May longevity bring blessings.” Its lustrous patina attained over centuries adds to its depth, softness and grace which enhance the energy in any space it occupies.
This antique Lao Buddha stands in refined dignity displaying inner tranquility and strength, hands in abhaya mudra that connotes reassurance, divine protection, and dispelling fear and signifies Buddha’s spiritual power as he bestows protection from evil and ignorance and conveys “fear not” to devotees. As typical of Lao Buddhas he is covered in gilt visually reflecting his golden skin and a finial or radiance as a flame emerging from his. His wet style Buddha robe that is smooth and graceful in its simplicity and adds elegance to the carving.
Hand carved coconut cutters like this were commonly used in India and Thailand to facilitate the difficult task of extracting all parts of the coconut that were routinely used in these cultures. Carvers took pleasure in creating unique and functional folk art tools with local artistic motifs. Long since discontinued, this carving with its warm and rustic feel would be a special decorative addition to any style kitchen and an interesting conversational piece.
This rare, elegant, gilt covered Jambupati Buddha wears regal Burmese court attire with luxuriant jewelry and huge decorative flanges surrounding his multi-layered elaborate faceted crown topped by an elongated ushnisha. Seated on a high ornate multi-tiered waisted throne in Earth Witnessing position, he looks directly at onlookers with strength and a sweet smile to emphasize his spiritual and material power.
This very fine pair of antique carved males fu lions represents the dual nature of these mythical animals: as protective images they are powerful and fierce, as Buddhist images they are whimsical with smiling faces, dangling tongues, hanging ears and bushy tails. They are extremely well carved with harnesses and bells around their necks, detailed manes and tails on high intricately decorated bases to signal their importance. Perfect for enhancing feng shui in a home or office, large finely decorative wood pairs like this are extremely hard to find.
Burmese ox carts are often decorated with carved teak ornaments attached to the yoke/cart crosspiece with a similar function of protection and guidance as the figurehead prow on a ship. This ornament of a man moving up a hill is probably a Burmese nat that wascinitially brightly painted andnow is mounted on a wood and metal stand.
This exceptionally crafted and beautiful footed confection mould was most probably a marriage gift from a wealthy family to the newly wed as seen its symbols. It is elaborated and ornately decorated in vibrant reds and gilt with many auspicious symbols for fidelity, fertility and happiness with lotuses and pods filled with seeds, bats, paired fish and intertwined vines.
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