Bidspirit auction | Chinese Stone Carvings

Chinese Stone Carvings - Chinese Carvings Lot Assorted group of Chinese carved ornaments and small decorative objects in various hardstones and related carving materials, including figural pendants, animal carvings, seals, beads, a bangle and bracelet. Subjects include Buddhist or devotional figures, recumbent and standing animals, dragon imagery and several archaistic forms derived from early Chinese jade and bronze ornament. The pierced animal-form plaque and dark carved pendants are especially reminiscent of the long Chinese tradition of adapting ancient ritual motifs into later personal ornaments, while the small horse, rabbit-like and other animal carvings belong to a familiar vocabulary of auspicious and zodiac-associated subjects.Also included are carved seal-form pieces, notably a rectangular brown seal surmounted by a recumbent mythical beast and engraved with columns of Chinese characters. Such seals developed from functional name and official stamps into objects valued for calligraphy, carving and the symbolic character of their finials; lion, dragon and other guardian-beast terminals were particularly popular. The group appears to represent pieces of differing dates rather than a single matched set, with several objects made in consciously archaistic styles intended to recall much earlier Chinese jade, bronze and seal-carving traditions. 3”x1? is the largest item in this collection.