Stone Carved Kuixing Standing On Dragon Turtle Statue,Qing Dynasty (17th–19th Century)

拍品描述

Dimensions: Overall Height 47cm (18.50in), Max Width 25cm (9.84in), Qing Dynasty, 17th to 19th CenturyCondition & Provenance: The entire statue is fully intact without breaks, missing sections or restorations. The stone matrix is dense and solid, coated with naturally aged, thick patina. Deep relief carvings of flowing robes, muscular anatomy, dragon turtle and ocean waves retain sharp layered details with no heavy chipping or abrasion. Facial features, vermilion writing brush and ink slab held in the deity’s hands remain fully preserved. The wave-shaped base is stable and complete, free of artificial grinding, refinishing or artificial staining to fake antiquity. Category: Antique stone sculpture, market destination: California. This statue comes from the private collection of Richard Chen, a collector based in Los Angeles, California. It was purchased at Bonhams New York Asian Stone Sculpture Auction in 2024. Complete auction paperwork, stone dating analysis report and professional stone carving appraisal certificate are fully preserved.Description: This Qing-dynasty bluestone sculpture of Kuixing atop a dragon turtle is a classic decorative artwork rooted in ancient Chinese imperial examination culture. Historically placed in academies and scholar studies, it symbolizes top exam scores and outstanding academic success. Kuixing bears a fierce snarling face, spiky upward swept hair and powerfully defined musculature, twisted mid-leap with billowing ribbons swirling around his frame to deliver dramatic dynamic movement. He grips a vermilion writing brush high in his right hand and a square ink slab in his left, the canonical attributes of the God of Literature. His bare feet rest firmly on the back of a sea dragon turtle emerging from curling storm waves; the turtle shell is incised with orderly geometric key-fret patterns, while fluid swirling waves are rendered with sharp, forceful carving strokes through combined deep and shallow relief for striking three-dimensional depth. The sculpture is carved from a single solid block of bluestone, developing a smooth, ancient natural patina over centuries of weathering with soft, authentic erosion layers. “Kuixing Pointing the Dipper” and “Standing Upon the Dragon Turtle” were the most revered auspicious motifs for ancient scholars, and large undamaged stone examples of this subject are exceedingly scarce today. Vivid expressive facial carving, intricate masterful sculpting and culturally significant symbolism make this statue a vital physical specimen for academic research on imperial examination folk customs, traditional folk stone carving craftsmanship and classical auspicious sculpture aesthetics. It carries exceptional folk cultural relic value, elite Chinese study and hall display aesthetic value and rare collectible value for antique stone sculpture enthusiasts worldwide.

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