Carved Sculptures and Carvings

Burmese bronze Buddha sitting in Mara Vijaya (calling the earth to witness) posture on a base. Age: Burma, Shan Period, 17th century Size: Heig...

An impressive depiction of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of compassion, whose name bears the meaning ‘One who hears the cries of the world.’ The rather androgynous figure is adorned with beaded jewellery and the princely regalia of a dhoti, draped across her body and spilling out over to partially obscure what she is resting upon. The goddess’ profile exhibits idealised features of Asian artistic convention; her face is soft and rounded, with full lips and relaxed eyes that provide a serene quality of youthfulness to the figure. Adhering to Chinese iconography of Guanyin, the figure is marked by an urna on her forehead, denoting her own enlightenment, as well as a diadem displaying Buddha Amitabha, the spiritual teacher of Guanyin. Seated in the Lalit asana pose, translated as ‘royal ease’, the figure exudes a fine example of the relaxed majesty typical in the characterisation of Guanyin. Whilst the figure’s left hand is placed restfully upon the left leg pendant, the right is raised in the gesture shuni mudra, the second finger held gently against the thumb. Otherwise known as the seal of patience, this gesture indicates the figure as one intended to bestow this virtue, along with compassion and understanding, upon the beholder. Notes on the item: Guanyin is the Chinese interpretation of Avalokiteshvara, the Indian Bodhisattva of compassion. The term “Bodhisattva” is derived from the Sanskrit “Bodhi”, meaning ‘awakening’ or ‘enlightenment’, combined with “Sattva”, meaning ‘spirit’ or ‘being’, referring to one on the path to achieving enlightenment. Bodhisattvas in Mayahana Buddhism are recognised as figures who have effectively achieved enlightenment yet relinquish their accension to nirvana in order to remain amongst mankind in the ultimate act of compassion to aid as spiritual guides. As such, the Bodhisattva inhabit a liminal space between samsara and nirvana; enlightened beings that maintain a relationship with humanity that buddhas cannot, as attaining Buddhahood necessitates the abandonment of all worldly attachments, including mankind. Guanyin’s very name, ‘One who hears the cries of the world’ highlights this role as a compassionate figure who acknowledges the suffering and strife of man. Along with Mahāsthāmaprāpta, a fellow bodhisattva, Guanyin serves as an attendant to Buddha Amitabha, with these three deities recognised as the Three Sages of Western Pure Land Buddhism, a sect of Mayahana Buddhism popular in East Asia. Avalokiteshvara is commonly posited to have been adopted from Indian Buddhism into China as Guanyin around 200-400 CE, however it was the Tang dynasty (618-907) which saw the popularisation of the deity. By the Ming (1358–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, Guanyin held the position as the most popular female deity in China. The unique state of religion in China held no monolithic canon regarding Buddhism and saw the assimilation of several belief systems, primarily Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Consequently, Guanyin became a deity to be revered beyond Buddhism alone, appointed as both an official imperial deity and Daoist deity in the 12th century. Guanyin may also be seen to fulfil the role of idealised femininity as prescribed by Confucianism, with the scarcity of female Chinese deities perhaps accounting for the gradual gender shift Guanyin underwent. The Indian Avalokiteshvara is unequivocally recognised as male, whilst the supposed gender of Guanyin remains contentious. Although there is a clear shift from the masculine Avalokiteshvara towards a more feminine representation, it is unclear if Guanyin is understood to be entirely feminine, to inhabit qualities of both genders or to be elevated beyond gender entirely, embodying neither. Depictions of Guanyin are highly androgynous, which some believe lends credence towards Guanyin symbolising the unity of dualistic forces as recognised in Daoism, displaying the anthropomorphism of yin and yang. Comparative Analysis: Market comparisons of similar Qing Dynasty polychrome figures of Guanyin include lot 767 (no.2) From Christies ‘Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art,’ New York, 25 March 2022, with the price realised USD 52,920 (Estimate USD 20,000 – USD 30,000). Christies also auctioned a comparable polychrome Guanyin...

China, a large votive model of a stone ram, Han dynasty (206BC-220AD) Dimensions: 45cm, 18 inches high and 65cm, 26 inches length and 25cm, 10 inches wi...

Tibetan wooden Buddhist Mahakala mask (Shaman Exorcism Mask Yama God of Death) with stand. Age: Tibet, 19th Century Size: Height 36.6 C.M. / Width 2...

A vintage Japanese ikebana basket, crafted from lacquered bamboo using traditional basketry techniques, dating to the first half of the 20th century. This elegant piece embodies the ...

A very large antique Asian wood carving of the iconic Laughing Buddha. The sculpture has great form, the Buddha with his right hand resting ...

A beautiful, wonderfully crafted, alluring mask made for Japanese Noh theatre. The mask is handcrafted and hand-carved from natural wood and is signed by the maker, clearly a mast...

A pair of Chinese Qing Dynasty period hand-carved temple corbels from the 19th century, mounted on black bases. Created in China during the Qing Dynasty...

An attractive and very old Meiji period early 20th century granite stone "Crowned" Buddha - Shyaka Nyorai Sakyamuni- sculpture with staff and "Hoju" the wish granting jewel in her...

Vintage midcentury hand carved ebony wooden Balinese busts sculptures. Hand carved sculpture in wood depicting a Balinese couple. Bust of a man and wom...

A Qing Dynasty hand carved wooden temple corbel from the 19th century, with characters, pagodas, vegetation and red polychromy. This antique Qing Dynast...

A Chinese vintage camphor wood low-relief wall plaque from Zhejiang depicting a celestial guardian on a mythical animal. Created in Eastern China during the midcentury period, this w...

Exuding an energy of calm and tranquility, this larger-than-life stone bust depicts a Buddhist bodhisattva in serene meditation. A disciple of the Buddha, a bodhisattva is a compassi...

A beautiful, wonderfully crafted, alluring mask made for Japanese Noh theatre. The mask is handcrafted and hand-carved from natural wood and is signed by the maker. This mask is o...

Hand-carved wooden sculptures representing a traditional guardian or deity figure, often referred to as the "Lady of Popa," originating from Vietnam or Southeast Asia. These striking...

A well-carved and detailed carved wood temple shrine standing Buddha on a custom display stand. Decorated with golden gilt. Likely Northern Thai or lower Burma/Burmese. This parti...

A pair of antique Burmese wooden finial (Chofa) with figures, used for decoration on top of temple's roof. Age: Burma, Early 20th Century Size excluding stand: Height 123.3 - 127 C...

A truly beautiful, wonderfully aged, alluring mask made for Japanese Noh theater. The naturally faded beauty and unique character drew us to this mask immediately. The mask is handcrafted and hand-carved from natural wood, clearly by a master of his trade. We believe this mask is of the Noh theatre character Otobide. This mask dates back to the Edo Period (1603-1868). It comes with a wooden storage box (which may have been added at a later date). A rare, unique, and exquisite mask. Finely carved and executed. Would be a great addition to any Japanese or Asian art/artifacts collection or an eye-catching stand-alone accent piece in about any setting. Mask dimensions: 7.7" high, 5.7" wide, 2.1" deep...

This magnificent antique Chinese bone carved elephant was 100% hand made and hand carved from OX bone. It has very detailed carving works on it. T...

We present a magnificent Buddha hand in patinated bronze, a rare and elegant piece dating from the 20th century. This masterpiece of Asian art embodies serenity and wisdom, charact...

This is a type of rock that is produced in areas such as the Abe River in Shizuoka Prefecture, but it is also found in other regions such as Kanagawa and Chiba. These types of stones...

Laying Foetus From our Japanese collection, we are pleased to offer this Japanese Edo Period Skeleton Netsuke. The Skeleton Netsuke is carved from Boxwood depicting a skeleton in t...

Double-sided carved wooden blawong board from Java, Indonesia (circa 1920s-1950s). Blawong boards were used to hold a pair of Keris daggers. They were fix...

This unusual carved Chinese wooden stool is from the Qing dynasty (circa 1820). The stool is finely carved from the center of a northern elm (Yumu...

An Enameled Molded Porcelain Snuff Bottle. Imperial, Jingdezhen kilns, Qianlong four-character mark in iron red.  

Monumental carved marble Buddhist Shakyamuni Triad sculpture. The Shaka Triad was one of the earliest significant examples of a Buddhist sculpture in Japan. It was crafted from bron...

Description: A singular example of Guanyin. Deviating from the Bodhisattva’s conventional pose of ‘royal ease’, the figure is instead seated in the meditative padmasana, or ‘lotus position’, rendering this Guanyin something of a rarity. An Apana more typically associated with depictions of Buddhas, Guanyin assuming this pose immediately signifies this figure as one of particular spiritual reverence. Both feet are revealed crossed upon one another from beneath fabric which spills before her, her left palm turned upward with her hand resting upon her left knee and her right raised in a relaxed gesture. Adorned with a diadem housing a depiction of Amitabha Buddha, her own spiritual guide, she exudes an air of tranquil regality, further characterised by her numerous strings of beads and elaborately fastened dhoti, attire traditionally reserved for Indian princes. Though the figure’s dress is Indian her face is undoubtedly exemplifying artistic Chinese beauty standards. Her face is soft and rounded, full in both the lips and cheeks, with eyes that restfully peer down, as though she is watching over the worries of mankind with compassion. Notes on the item: Guanyin is the Chinese interpretation of Avalokiteshvara, the Indian Bodhisattva of compassion. The term “Bodhisattva” is derived from the Sanskrit “Bodhi”, meaning ‘awakening’ or ‘enlightenment’, combined with “Sattva”, meaning ‘spirit’ or ‘being’, referring to one on the path to achieving enlightenment. Bodhisattvas in Mayahana Buddhism are recognised as figures who have effectively achieved enlightenment yet relinquish their accension to nirvana in order to remain amongst mankind in the ultimate act of compassion to aid as spiritual guides. As such, the Bodhisattva inhabit a liminal space between samsara and nirvana; enlightened beings that maintain a relationship with humanity that buddhas cannot, as attaining Buddhahood necessitates the abandonment of all worldly attachments, including mankind. Guanyin’s very name, ‘One who hears the cries of the world’ highlights this role as a compassionate figure who acknowledges the suffering and strife of man. Along with Mahāsthāmaprāpta, a fellow bodhisattva, Guanyin serves as an attendant to Buddha Amitabha, with these three deities recognised as the Three Sages of Western Pure Land Buddhism, a sect of Mayahana Buddhism popular in East Asia. Avalokiteshvara is commonly posited to have been adopted from Indian Buddhism into China as Guanyin around 200-400 CE, however it was the Tang dynasty (618-907) which saw the popularisation of the deity. By the Ming (1358–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, Guanyin held the position as the most popular female deity in China. The unique state of religion in China held no monolithic canon regarding Buddhism and saw the assimilation of several belief systems, primarily Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Consequently, Guanyin became a deity to be revered beyond Buddhism alone, appointed as both an official imperial deity and Daoist deity in the 12th century. Guanyin may also be seen to fulfil the role of idealised femininity as prescribed by Confucianism, with the scarcity of female Chinese deities perhaps accounting for the gradual gender shift Guanyin underwent. The Indian Avalokiteshvara is unequivocally recognised as male, whilst the supposed gender of Guanyin remains contentious. Although there is a clear shift from the masculine Avalokiteshvara towards a more feminine representation, it is unclear if Guanyin is understood to be entirely feminine, to inhabit qualities of both genders or to be elevated beyond gender entirely, embodying neither. Depictions of Guanyin are highly androgynous, which some believe lends credence towards Guanyin symbolising the unity of dualistic forces as recognised in Daoism, displaying the anthropomorphism of yin and yang. Comparative Analysis: Market comparisons of similar Qing Dynasty polychrome figures of Guanyin include lot 767 (no.2) From Christies ‘Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art,’ New York, 25 March 2022, with the price realised USD 52,920 (Estimate USD 20,000 – USD 30,000). Christies also auctioned a comparable polychrome Guanyin...

Tibetan wooden Buddhist Mahakala mask (Shaman Exorcism Mask Yama God of Death) with stand. Age: Tibet, 19th Century Size: Height 33.8 C.M. / Width 25.5...

This is an object of a wild bear which was made in Japan around 1990s in Heisei era, Kibori kuma is a Japanese rural craft that consists of a wooden carving of a bear with a fish i...

This special collection comprises a three-dimensional celadon jade carving of a magpie perched on plum blossom branches, symbol of happiness; a Ruyi shap...

Japan, a handsome and large natural organic shaped stone water basin planter -tsukubai- created from a natural granite mountain boulder and sourced from...

Pre-Columbian style , Hispaniola, Arawak Peoples, Taino Native Indians This is a finely carved Taino Cacique Chief's hand carved hard wood figure- a superb ancestor style ceremonial...

A wonderful small stone seated Buddha with beautiful lichen patina Good garden candidate .In Japan, Kṣitigarbha, known as Jizō, or respectfully as Ojizō-sama, is one of the most lo...

Call or message us to reserve Please see our video. For your special garden Here's a beautiful and unique way to accent your outdoor garden space with this rare and unusual lanter...

Here’s what one of our customer says: “Your workmanship is superb.” Japanese Torii gate - Custom Made for your garden. Master crafted design wit...

An antique carved teak architectural panel from the 19th century, with floral and foliage décor. This antique carved teak architectural panel from the 19th century captivates with it...

A superb Chinese yellow and russet nephrite jade carving of a mythical beast, Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644) or earlier, China The mythical beast is portrayed with feline features, i...

A really nice vintage Japanese boxwood inro and netsuke of rats and snakes on a round basket, circa early 1940s. The piece is well carved with wonderful detail and in very good vint...

Wonderful hand carved wooden wall plaque with intricate detail of a scene from Ramayana. According to the Hindu epic Ramayana relates the story of the life of Rama, the seventh incar...

A Chinese amethyst carved censor and cover, Qing Dynasty, 19th century. the rounded body carved with a pair of dragon mask handles, raised on thr...

Chinese Carved Green and White Quartz Vase and Cover, China, 20th century  A beautifully carved Chinese green and white quartz vase with cover, dating from the 20th century. This va...

Chinese Ming period dragon carving mounted as pendant in yellow gold. The metal mounting is marked 14K. Total weight 44g.

Rare and unusual 19th century monumental Chinese rosewood brush pot carved from a large, solid trunk. Beautiful crafted with a subtle hourglass cylindrical shape. Featuring rich and ...

Vintage stone pipe from Kathmandu, Nepal featuring a hand carved elephant's head. Beautiful hand carved wooden pipe from Sumatra, circa 1950. Would look great set on a minimalis...

This is a large heavy Chinese lapis lazuli well carved in details group of figures sculpture.`It depicts two young ladies very well dressed in southern and northern dynasty clothes with traditional Chinese hair...

Rare find of refined vintage modern kokeshi simplified wooden doll titled as ‘Hajirai’ (lit. ‘Shyness’) made by a kokeshi artist, Kenichi Murakami (1929-1991), c.1970-80s, categorize...

Unique Pair (2) Tall Large Round Stone Bowls Planters On Stone Pedestals From our recent Japanese Acquisition Travels- comes this unusual pair of tall large round garden stone vesse...

A beautiful pair of large vintage Chinese hand carved wood foo dogs painted a deep red with a heavy gold gilt, circa 1960s. The dogs (or lions) are in...

Burma (Myanmar), Mandalay Period, 19th Century Material: Wood with traces of original gilt and lacquer Dimensions: 160 cm length × 40 cm height This finely carved reclining Buddha...

This masterfully carved celadon jade figure represents the epitome of Chinese artistry and craftsmanship. The sculpture features a beauty dressed in flowing traditional attire, capturing the essence of grace and elegance. She is depicted holding a plate that presents a branch bearing three peaches, a symbol of longevity and prosperity in Chinese culture. The jade used for this carving is of a refined celadon hue, adding a layer of sophistication and tranquility to the piece. The intricate detailing on the flowing dress and the lifelike representation of the peaches attest to the skill and precision involved in its creation. This celadon jade carving...

Vintage Chinese serpentine sculpture is a traditional decorative object realized in china in the early 20th century. Serpentine m...

A nice hand-carved antique, a Large and Heavy Chinese Hetain White- Light Gray Jade of 3 Rams resting on the fitted wooden stand., 360° carving. There is a meaning behind this artwor...

A lovely carved sandstone torso of the Buddha, Ayutthaya period (1350-1767), Thailand. Wonderfully simplistic, the only ornamentation this torso displays...

Stunning and unique pair of matching horse sculptures. With a combined experience of almost 30 years in the antiques trade, we were thrilled to once again find beautifully hand-crafted and decorative antiques that we had never seen before. From the density and the weight we can see and feel that these highly decorative horse sculptures are made of a tropical hardwood. Like, for example, with antique mirror frames or church sculptures these horses too were first covered with a mixture of chalk and glue so that the paint would hold longer. And, as so often is the case with antiques, the colors that were used for painting these horses are so much more beautiful than anything you find in this day and age that they truly are an absolute joy to look at. From the colors, the wear, the materials and the techniques that were used to create these horses we can see that these are 19th century antiques. However and unfortunately we lack the knowledge to be able to tell you from which country these highly decorative and sizeable works of art originate. We just can't find matching style horse sculptures anywhere on the worldwide web. They could be Chinese or Nepalese, but they could also be Persian or Arabian. We just have not been able to find out. What we do know is that they are definitely antique, they are in beautiful condition (with some wear, consistent with their age), they are highly decorative, probably unique and they have a look and feel that will instantly change the atmosphere of the room they are in. Mind you, our sharp price for this wonderful pair of horse sculptures...

A simple exterior of black lacquer belies the splendor within this late 19th-century Japanese traveling shrine (zushi). The hinged doors open to reveal a lustrous gold interior and a...

Stunning Chinese sculpture of Shou Xing God of Wisdom and Longevity. Richly carved in organic burl wood. circa 1960s. Measure: 45.5" High. X.

A outstanding pair of ancestor figures from the Tharu people of Southern Nepal. The standing guardian figures, the faces with serene enigmatic expression,  Ancient weathered  patina...

Zō-onna Noh Theatre Mask, Meiji Period Noh Mask, Japanese Noh Mask, Antique Japanese Mask, Antique Noh Mask, Noh Theatre Mask, Samurai, Japanese Antique. Beautifully carved and hand...

These finely carved pair of Indian dolls are known as Marapachi Bommais, which literally translates to ‘wooden dolls’. Marapachi Bommais dolls are an important part of South Indian culture and rituals. These dolls which are usually in a pair as a bride and groom and is a part of the Golu display done in households during Navaratri. Marapachi Bommai hold great sentimental value as they are given as part of the bride’s wedding trousseau and are a legacy passed on from one generation to another in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The dolls are in naked form and are typically decorated with clothes and finery by children as their playthings. The female doll...

Wonderful, unique hand-carved wood and polychrome pair of Indonesian Balinese devotional figures/ statues from the island of Bali. This pair, likely from the early to mid-20th cent...