QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

Details

A VERY RARE CARVED ALOESWOOD 'FIVE BATS' RUYI
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
The sceptre is naturalistically carved in high relief and openwork to depict an intricate network of gnarled trailing branches, concealing five bats and ruyi fungi, the underside of the shaft with deep crevices in imitation of a tree trunk.
14 in. (35.5 cm.) long, Japanese wood box

Provenance

Sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2009, lot 1915

Literature

M & C Gallery, Seeking Antiquities-Studying Treasures, Hong Kong, 2007, pp. 50-53

Lot Essay

Aloeswood, chenxiangmu, is the resinous wood from the Aquilaria tree enxiang mu, an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. The Aquilaria tree frequently becomes infected with a parasite fungus or mould, Phialophora parasitica, and begins to produce an aromatic resin in response to this attack. It is this precious resinous wood that is treasured around the world, particularly in China, Japan and Tibet. Due to the soft and perishable nature of the material, not many examples of aloeswood carving have survived.

Compare to a similarly carved ruyi from the Palace Museum, exhibited at China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005-2006, Catalogue, pl. 273.

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