Description
An Antique Chinese Shoushan Stone Elephant Carving With The "Seal" (or Stamp) of a Merchant Of The Qing Dynasty Engraved on the bottom. It is from the Mid-Qing Dynasty period of the years 1720-1760. It is in relatively good aged condition - the colors have minimum fade, there remains excellent detail, the "Merchant's Seal" imprint is still intact, and it maintains its overall "status symbol" of being affluent that would be expected of a successful domestic Chinese Merchant. However, there is "wear" where one might expect from use as a "Merchant's Seal," there is some slight deterioration where artistic inlaids have been made due to age, and the ends of the Elephant Tusks are missing. It features colors of red, greenish blue, Shoushan stone brown, gold plate, and a creamy white. And it has the traditional "Merchant's Seal" on the bottom of the carving (see Photo #12) that conveys a "blessing" to farm and farm land owners with whom the Merchant likely depended upon for business. Depicted in Ancient Chinese script, the "Seal" message essentially translates to the Merchant's desire that one be blessed with good fortune, weather, seasons, plentiful water, and plentiful rice & wheat harvests. The Carving has a number of characteristics that attest to its authenticity. The "seal" engraving is precise and deeply inset even after centuries of use and it has aged ink remnants located where one would expect (see Photo #12). The detailed carvings are precise and reflect patience in their creation (see Photos #8 & #9). The paint has been applied carefully and meticulously as one would expect of a Fujian Artisan (see Photos #3 & #4). It is multi-colored and elaborate and was therefore time consuming and expensive to make. There are not any signs of "opacity" or unnatural "wear." It is a unique design and not of a type of carving or design that could be produced in large quantities. And it does not have any "stamped" impressions or discolorations from using low quality or imitation materials. The Elephant Antiquity was given to me as a gift by the Chinese Government after I inquired about its origin when I visited the Republic Of China under a US-China Cultural "People-To-People" Exchange Program in the year 1990. "Shoushan" is an alabaster type of stone from the Shoushan Mountain area in Fuzhou, China that has been mined and used for carvings for over 2,000 years. "Seals" have been used for more than 3,000 years by the Chinese as a means to express "blessings" to others for longevity in life, health, composure, virtue, wealth, good fortune, and prosperity. Thus, there are a number of different types of "seals" that convey different particular "blessings." This particular one is of the "Merchant's" or "Coheng" type since the "blessing" concerns those who own and harvest rice and wheat fields on which the Merchant depends and the elements and seasons of Nature that affect those crops and harvests. It measures 5" long x 2&1/2" wide x 4&1/2" high and weighs approximately 2&1/2 pounds.
