Ivory Carvings - Emperor & Empress on Thrones - Pair - Screens

Antiques > Ivories Dealer: Smokee's Contact: Henry Hebing - Email Dealer
Price: $8,000.00 USD  - Currency Converter Shipping inside United States: $400.00 Shipping outside United States: Quoted at time of purchase

Description: AUCTION ESTIMATE = $8,000 - This is a MATCHED SET of an EMPEROR and EMPRESS on ELABORATE THRONES seated in front of FINELY PIERCED CARVED FACETTED SCREENS. These exquisitely carved and very unique Emperor and Empress are seated on their elaborate thrones in front of finely pierced carved facetted screens wearing traditional Mandarin robes and attributes. Each has a Mandarin necklace around their neck. The Mandarin necklace was part of the formal dress worn by all courtiers. The main string is composed of 108 small beads equally divided into groups of 27 by four larger beads called "Buddha heads". Attached to one of these larger beads was a long tape decorated about half way down by a plaque and finished with a pendant. Also attached to the main string were three smaller strings of ten beads. Each string of ten beads divided into two sets of five. When the Chao zhu was worn, two of these subsidiary strings hung from the left shoulder and the other from the right. The long tape hung down the back. The Emperor rests both hands on his robe. The Emperor's throne displays two dragons on each side of his throne and deeply incised dragons chasing the flaming pearl of knowledge on his robes. The dragon is the symbol of luck, wealth, good fortune and wisdom. The dragon represents male vigor and fertility and is also the imperial emblem of the Emperor. The coat of arms of the Emperors from the Han period displayed two dragons contesting the fiery pearl. A five-clawed dragon was for imperial use only. A four-clawed dragon indicated a prince and a three-clawed dragon represented an official. The dragon and phoenix are the symbols for husband and wife and emperor and empress. The dragon ranks first amongst the 4 supernatural creatures. The Empress is holding a Ju-i Scepter in her right hand. The Ju-I in the Ch'ing Dynasty was presented to high court officials as a marker of Imperial favor. The Ju-I tradition is thousands of years old. Originally thought to be a short sword, used for pointing, it later became a primitive phallic symbol given by the Emperor to a favorite consort. It reached its present symbolism in the Tang Dynasty during the 7th and 8th centuries. The Empress's throne displays two phoenix birds on each side of her throne and deeply incised phoenix birds on her clothing. The phoenix is the emblem of the Empress. It only appears during times of peace and prosperity. It ranks second of the 4 supernatural creatures. A train of small birds is always in attendance when the phoenix flies. The phoenix represents the 5 Human Qualities - Virtue, Duty, Correct Behavior, Humanity and Reliability. It also represents sun and warmth for the summer harvest and symbolizes peace, beauty and good fortune. The artist has done a superb job of deeply carving these beautiful pieces. The deep incising gives both depth and beauty to each piece. He has further enhanced their beauty with the subtle use of scrimshaw. The Emperor and Empress each sit atop a solid ivory base and have a lovely patina that comes only with age. Each stands a massive 12" tall without the stand and the combined weight of the ivory exceeds 6 1/2 pounds! Each comes with its own custom hardwood stand that is original to the piece. These carvings are 100% genuine elephant IVORY and in EXCELLENT CONDITION. They were HAND CARVED and HAND SCRIMSHAWED in China by a gifted master craftsman in the early 1900s. They have a lovely patina that nature has chosen to bestow upon them. These carvings are UNIQUE and exhibit beautiful IVORY GRAIN which is guaranteed to be clearly visible. The ivory has been highly polished and exquisitely detailed. The quality of the ivory, the quality of the carving and the quality of the scrimshaw work are all exceptional. These carvings were legally imported into the USA and can only be shipped to locations within the USA. In January of 2006 Columbus (the experts in Asian art) provided an auction estimate on these pieces of $8,000. Auction estimates are conservative and typically well below appraised values. This magnificent pair would make a stunning addition to any collection of quality Asian Art and should surely increase in value over the years. Dimensions (Each): 12.00" x 7.00" x 5.00" Weight (Combined): 6 Pounds, 9 ounces

Status: For Sale	Reference#: O_388
Condition: See Description	Year: See Description
Country: China
Height: 12.00 in. (30.48 cm)	Depth: 5.00 in. (12.70 cm)
Width: 7.00 in. (17.78 cm)	Weight: 6.56
Materials: Ivory

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