A SOAPSTONE BOULDER

17TH/18TH CENTURY

Details

A SOAPSTONE BOULDER
17th/18th century
Of irregular form, one side finely carved in low relief with two scholars and an attendant traveling by foot and donkey in a receding landscape, the reverse simply carved with a rock face, the finely polished stone of dark reddish tone with ochre skin
6in. (15.2cm.) high

Provenance

Spink & Son Ltd., no. 73.

Lot Essay

The style of carving on this piece is similar to the liuqing technique of carving sometimes found on bamboo pieces, where the pale outer skin is finely carved in low relief and reserved against the darker under layer. See the bamboo box carved in this technique from the collection of B.S. McElney, illustrated by Laurence C.S. Tam, Chinese Bamboo Carving, Part I, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1978, no. 84.

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