Bidspirit auction | A Collection of Four Chinese

A Collection of Four Chinese Carved Soapstone Objects - A collection of four hand-carved soapstone (steatite) objects, likely Chinese in origin. The assortment consists of a leaf-form dish, a Buddhist lion group, a reticulated tree carving, and a bear figure. The leaf-form dish is carved in the shape of a peach or leaf with low-relief floral and foliage decoration at one end. The stone is a mottled gray and tan with darker dendritic inclusions. The Buddhist lion (Foo Dog) group features a reclining lion with its paw resting on a brocade ball, situated next to an integral, jagged-rim shallow bowl. The stone used is a variegated tan and reddish-brown. The reticulated tree carving is an intricate, openwork piece depicting small animals, possibly squirrels or monkeys, climbing amidst pine trees and fungus. It rests upon a separate dark-brown carved stone or wood-effect base. The main carving is a light celadon-tan color. The bear figure is a stylized carving of a seated quadruped, likely a bear, rendered in a distinct reddish-brown stone mottled with tan. No maker marks, reign marks, or signatures are visible on any of the pieces. The bases are generally flat and unpolished, showing typical fabrication marks and surface scratches. Leaf dish: 5.5 inches long x 1 inch high Lion carving: 5 inches long x 2.5 inches high Tree carving: 4.5 inches high (including base) Bear figure: 4.5 inches long x 3 inches high.