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A large and unusual Chinese carved ivory head of Guanyin, circa…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Melbourne
Date:
15-May-2016
Lot No.
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Description:
A large and unusual Chinese carved ivory head of Guanyin, circa 1920, with downcast gaze, the serene face, adorned with an urna (third eye for wisdom), surmounted by an elaborately pierced diadem, with a single row of beading, and depicting the Amitabha Buddha seated on a lotus base in anjali mudra (the prayer position), all encircling a second figure of the seated Amitabha backed by a mandorla, which appears as a finial above the separately carved wooden chignon of the Guanyin. The base of the head, with a framed six-character Chenghua mark, and surrounded by an oval border stained in brown. Together with a fitted wooden stand in the shape of the deity's neck and shoulders, (small chip to base), 41 cm total height. Provenance: originally purchased in Vietnam around 1918 by Mr. And Mrs. George and Annette Ravoux, the French proprietors of the 'Hotel du grand Balcon 'G. Ravoux' Proprietere in Vietnam, thence passed on by descent around 1950 or earlier, and again in 1966 where it became part of a private collection in New Zealand, and thence passed on by descent to the current owner., reference: for similarly carved ivory heads of Guanyin, from the same period, please refer to Bonham's, San Francisco 25 June 2013, lot 8094, Mroczek Brothers Seattle Auction house, 5 December 2013, Lot 59, Christie's, Amsterdam, 21-22 September 2010, lot 193 (part of)., catalogue note: as the Guanyin head was exported from New Zealand to Australia - there is a copy of the CITES export permit dated 29 August 2002.
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Unclassified