
Juliette Hammer
Sale Coordinator
This auction has ended. View lot details
Sold for £28,160 inc. premium
Our Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialist
Sale Coordinator

Specialist

Specialist, Chinese Works of Art

Head of Chinese and Asian Art, London
十七/十八世紀 竹雕靈芝紋托座
Provenance: Michael Merton Antiques, London, 1970's (collector's notes)
來源: 倫敦古董商Michael Merton Antiques, 1970年代 (藏家筆記)
The carver has masterfully transformed the hard bamboo, capturing the plush softness and delicate folds of the mushroom with remarkable naturalism, featuring nine lingzhi fungi intricately intertwined, expertly pierced, and hollowed. In Chinese culture, the number nine is highly auspicious, symbolising longevity, completeness, and Imperial power. The lingzhi fungus (靈芝), cherished for its medicinal properties, is also a symbol of longevity. Moreover, the Chinese word for bamboo, zhu (竹), is a homophone for zhu (祝), meaning 'to offer good wishes.' When combined, they form the auspicious phrase zhushou (祝壽), expressing a heartfelt wish for a long and prosperous life.
See a related bamboo-root lingzhi carving, 17th/18th century, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4 April 2015, lot 2891.