THREE RARE SIGNED MINIATURE SOAPSTONE CARVINGS
19TH CENTURY
Two carved from tianhuang of rich caramel color: one a carving of a meiren languidly reclining against a pierced garden rock, holding a scroll in her left hand, her loose tunic and pants carved with graceful folds that continue beneath to form the base, finely inscribed, Tui-gu; the other a carving of two overlapping mushrooms, inscribed, Diao-xian; the third a jixue ('chicken-blood') carving of radishes, the reddish color in the stone used to highlight the tops of the radishes, inscribed, Zhu-yin
Figure 3 1/8 in. (8 cm.) long, box and stands (3)
THREE RARE SIGNED MINIATURE SOAPSTONE CARVINGS
19TH CENTURY
Two carved from tianhuang of rich caramel color: one a carving of a meiren languidly reclining against a pierced garden rock, holding a scroll in her left hand, her loose tunic and pants carved with graceful folds that continue beneath to form the base, finely inscribed, Tui-gu; the other a carving of two overlapping mushrooms, inscribed, Diao-xian; the third a jixue ('chicken-blood') carving of radishes, the reddish color in the stone used to highlight the tops of the radishes, inscribed, Zhu-yin
Figure 3 1/8 in. (8 cm.) long, box and stands (3)