PAGODA RED Sculptures and Carvings
to
92
83
8
1
3
7
37
39
9
16
1
49
31
27
7
7
91
86
79
5
4
92
91
92
Chinese Bamboo Cloth Teapot, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Tea drinking has been an integral part of Chinese culture for centuries, resulting in a wide range of social customs and material traditions. In addition to tea leaves, water, and heat, the art of drinking tea (chayi) calls for a variety of teaware and utensils - both practical and decorative.
This charming teapot dates to the late Qing dynasty and is hand-carved from a hollow length of bamboo to appear as though parceled by a cloth strung with tassels. The teapot has a squat, rounded form and a dark brown finish, reminiscent of Yixing red clay teapots...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Bamboo
Chinese Bamboo Pomegranate Teapot, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Tea drinking has been an integral part of Chinese culture for centuries, resulting in a wide range of social customs and material traditions. In addition to tea leaves, water, and heat, the art of drinking tea (chayi) calls for a variety of teaware and utensils - both practical and decorative.
This charming teapot dates to the late Qing dynasty and is hand-carved from a hollow length of bamboo in the shape of a ripe pomegranate. The handle is carved to resemble a thin branch, which forks to either side of the teapot bearing long, slender leaves. The teapot has a squat, rounded form and a dark brown finish, reminiscent of Yixing red clay teapots...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Bamboo
Chinese Stone Fu Dog Guardian Charm
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand-carved from a single block of limestone, this stone fu dog sits at attention as a watchful guardian of the home. He exudes a remarkable sense of life and energy - crouched on al...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Stone Fu Dog Guardian Charm
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand-carved from a single block of limestone, this stone fu dog sits at attention as a watchful guardian of the home. He exudes a remarkable sense of life and energy - crouched on al...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Limestone
Pair of Petite Chinese Fu Dog Guardians
Located in Chicago, IL
With curly manes and playful expressions, these petite stone fu dogs are adorable companions and benevolent guardians of the home. Also known as shizi, the pair represents yin and ya...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Limestone
$680 / set
Pair of Petite Mythical Qilin Figures
Located in Chicago, IL
Despite their muscular frames and fearsome expressions, these petite stone beasts are actually the benevolent creatures known as qilin. Also known as kirin or Chinese unicorns...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Animal Sculptures
Materials
Limestone
$880 / set
Tibeto-Chinese Seated Lama Figure, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Cast in brass with a rich patina, this seated figure is a Lama, a spiritual master and teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The figure likely de...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Tibetan Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Brass
Japanese Polychrome Standing Shō Kannon Figure, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This late 19th century standing figure depicts the sacred form of the bodhisattva Guanyin, known in Japanese Buddhism as Sho Kannon, or Guze Kannon. ...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Japanese Gilt Seated Kannon Figure, circa 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Intricately carved and finished with gilt black lacquer, this seated figure depicts the bodhisattva Guanyin, known in Japanese Buddhism as Kannon. Described as the "Buddha of Infinite Compassion," Kannon is the embodiment of mercy and makes himself available to all who call upon him with all their mind.
Kannon is depicted here seated in diamond position upon a double lotus plinth, set above a stepped base. He is dressed in gracefully draped robes and wears a tall crown bearing a minuscule figure of Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light. He has a serene expression of calm and holds his right hand in the abhaya mudra, a gesture of comfort, blessing, and protection. Backed by a magnificent leaf-form nimbus, this Kannon figure...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Japanese Edo Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
Chinese Footed Stone Basin, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This petite footed basin carved of solid limestone was likely once used in the courtyard of a wealthy Qing-dynasty home. Unusual decorative elements elevate...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Planters and Jardinieres
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Round Hitching Stone, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Unlike many objects of its kind, this limestone hitching stone was carved into a simple rounded shape without any figural references. Used to secure a horse by rope or reins, the sto...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Garden Ornaments
Materials
Limestone
Reclining Ho Ho Boy Charm Weight, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This 19th century weight originally used its heft domestically to protect a child. A simple yet ingenious concept, the stone anchored the baby’s swaddling cloth to the bed so the chi...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Ceramic
Chinese Charm Token Shoe with Compartment, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Originally tucked in a pocket as a charm, this tiny shoe was kept close at hand as a talisman for marital happiness. Meticulously carved from wood, the shoe is decorated with a double happiness symbol, the traditional symbol for conjugal bliss. A lovely Valentine’s Day or anniversary gift, the charm has a compartment ready to be filled with a note or small gift...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Pine
Chinese Ming Celestial Mingqi Horse Figure
Located in Chicago, IL
This hand carved Chinese wooden horse is a type of centuries-old burial figurine known as míngqì. Depicting the pleasures of daily life, míngqì f...
Category
Antique 16th Century Chinese Ming Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Wood
Pair of Chinese Stone Finials with Peaches and Persimmons, 17th/18th Century
Located in Chicago, IL
Over four hundred years ago, these rare stone finials once adorned the garden or courtyard of a traditional Qing-dynasty home. Hand-carved in Shanxi province, they offer a rare glimp...
Category
Antique 18th Century Chinese Ming Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Path Marker, c. 1908
Located in Chicago, IL
Happening upon an intersection, a traveler in Qing-dynasty China would have been grateful for the guidance of this limestone path marker. Still bearing traces of its original pigmentation, each side of this marker is inscribed with directions. One side directs towards the Zhen De Teng household, another towards the Liang family, and a third towards the North East Road. The fourth inscription announces the year of its construction, the 33rd year of Emperor Guangxu (1908). This second-to-the-last emperor...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Garden Ornaments
Materials
Limestone
$12,800
Chinese Immortal Peach Finial, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
This carved limestone charm promises longevity in the form of the immortal peach. According to Chinese mythology, the Jade Emperor’s palace was surrounded by peach trees that provided ripe fruit every three thousand years. A single bite of this charmed fruit...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Meditation Stone on Carved Stand
Located in Chicago, IL
A well-chosen stone is a focal point of both a traditional Chinese garden and a scholar's studio, evoking the grandeur of nature and inspiring creative thought. Meditation stones off...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Stone
Pair of Chinese Drum Form Column Bases, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
These 19th century column bases likely figured into the grand and imposing surroundings of a Qing-dynasty courtyard, flanking the entryway with their protective presence. Carved from...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Pedestals and Columns
Materials
Limestone
$7,780 / set
Chinese Limestone Foot Rest, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This early 20th century foot rest from China's Shanxi province is simply designed with a rounded body and four square feet. Hand carved of limestone, the footstool is patterned with rhythmic etchings and adorned on the ends with an eight-sided star, a symbolic depiction of the universe. It was believed that the Sky Emperor T'ai-Yi, a deification of primordial unity, resided at the top point of this star and ruled over all eight divisions of Heaven. Unlike wooden footstools that would have been placed before chairs or daybeds as a signal of status, this limestone foot rest was likely used in a garden before a drum seat...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Footstools
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Wanli-Era Cast Iron Bell
Located in Chicago, IL
A cast iron bell, when struck with a wooden beam, announced the time of day to villagers. This monumental example is covered in relief casts of chrysant...
Category
Antique Early 17th Century Chinese Ming Garden Ornaments
Materials
Iron
Chinese Carved Ancestor Figure, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
Ancestor worship was an integral part of traditional Chinese home life. This carved figure bears the likeness of one of its original owner's important for...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Primitive Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Chinese Bronze God of Wealth Altar Figure, c. 1800
Located in Chicago, IL
No idol in China is more widely worshiped than Caishen, the God of Wealth. His shrine can be found in nearly every home, his image set beside ancestors a...
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Qing Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Chinese Shou Shoe Carpenter Line, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Given the beauty and thoughtful design of traditional Chinese furniture, it’s no wonder that Qing-dynasty carpenter’s tools were accorded the same attention to detail. This remarkabl...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Iron
Chinese Stone Shoemaker's Weight with Zhu Bajie, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand carved of stone, this object would have been used in a shoemaker’s shop to press down large pieces of leather. Doubling as a handle, the central figure depicts the curious figure of a man with pig-like facial features holding a rake. The figure is Zhu Bajie, a character from the Ming-dynasty novel “Journey to the West...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone
Chinese Stone Shoemaker's Weight with Mother, Cub, and Embroidered Ball
Located in Chicago, IL
Carved from a solid piece of stone, this weight was originally used by a Shoemaker to press down large pieces of leather. Surrounded by intricate scrollwork and peony blossoms, a gua...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Animal Sculptures
Materials
Stone
Chinese Polychrome Altar Spirit, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Hand carved and vibrantly painted, this 19th century figure of a mythical spirit was once placed upon a traditional altar table to pay tribute to ancestors past. The figure is carved...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Paint, Wood
Chinese Journey to the West Hitching Post, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Created in the mid-19th century, this charming limestone post likely once stood outside a building in China's Shanxi province as a spot to hitch livestock. Carved in reference to the Ming dynasty novel "Journey to the West," the monkey atop the post depicts Sun Wukong, the Monkey King...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Limestone
18th Century Chinese Stone Guardian Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
This ancient stone guardian lion shizi was carved by hand out of a single block of limestone. The artisan beckoned the guardian out from the stone, manipulating the unyielding materi...
Category
Antique Early 18th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Limestone
Chinese Celestial Cloud Column Base, c. 1750
Located in Chicago, IL
This 18th century architectural object, hand-carved out of a single block of white marble, is intricately finished with an all-over celestial cloud motif—an ancient and auspicious Bu...
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century Chinese Qing Planters and Jardinieres
Materials
Marble
Chinese Miniature Mingqi Robe Rack, c. 680
Located in Chicago, IL
This miniature robe rack made out of glazed ceramic is called a mingqi or “spirit object.” Mingqi were buried in tombs and represented all of the things the ...
Category
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Tang Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Ceramic
Pair of 19th Century Chinese Stone Fu Lion Guardians
Located in Chicago, IL
This pair of 19th century carved limestone Fu dogs with sinister smiles and furled brows once guarded the entrance to one of provincial China's grand homes. One peers up and the othe...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Sculptures and Carvings
Materials
Limestone
