Rare Lg Carved Masterpiece Asian Oriental Shoushan Stone Lantern Incense Burner

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Rare Lg Carved Masterpiece Asian Oriental Shoushan Stone Lantern Incense Burner:
$2150.00

Appreciating AMuseum Quality IntricatelyCarvedOrientalShoushan Stone Palace Pagoda Lanternor incense burner is amasterpiece carvedshoushan stone interior lantern or incense burner in the form of hexagonal Oriental palace pagoda buildings.The lantern burner has six sides capped with exquisitely carved roof and supported by an elegantly carved base stand of floral scrolls , with breathtaking details. The top is carved into a palace building with two-story soaring roofs with 6 sections divided by ridges. The top story rests upon bamboo shaped columns connected to the lower story. On each of the roofs, the \"fish scale\" tile is individually carved with attention to the minute fineness; on the ridges of each roof are lofty motifs of six chilong dragons breathing out auspicious Ruyi (good luck) clouds; the top of the structure is carved with a mythical Daoist (or Taoist) gourd on a stem of lotus flower petals that are supposed to contain elixirs for immortality.
The six side panels of perforated windows are carved into flowers and animals includingplums, peonies, bamboo, pine, chrysanthemum, and lotus; the animals include cranes, pheasants, peacocks, butterflies, deers etc., representing classical auspicious attributes, including 1) bamboo: gentlemanliness, modesty and perseverance, and steady growth (stock by stock bamboo manner); 2)pine and deers: longevity, blessings and moral loftiness; 3).Peonies and butterflies: wealth, prosperity and happiness; 4) lotus: good luck, health and peace, and blessings. Lotus is classic symbol in Buddhism: 5) plum: perseverance and inner beauty; 6) chrysanthemum: perseverance. purity and good virtue; 6) deer, cranes, peacocks and butterflies represent longevity, health, family, marriage, happiness etc. The supporting elegant stands are elaborately carved with beautiful scrolls of flowers on all sides. The inside of the lantern/burner b is smoothly polished. A candle or lamp or incense can be placed in the receiptable. A tinge of gold yellow color in the shoushan stone material makes it warm and appealing.
This is a marvelous piece of carving art. Research has not found any carved stone lanternssold before that reachedthis level of carving.In the ancient time such lanterns would beused only in palaces, houses of royalty and very wealthy homes. Incense or candle can be placed in the base stand bowl for the fragrance or light to emit from the carved panels.
For Eastern Asian symbolism and meanings embodied in this pair of lanterns, you may refer to a very good book: Hidden Meanings In Chinese Art by the distinguished Eastern Asian studies scholar Terese Tse Bartholomew, published by Asian Art Museum press (2006), San Francisco.
Size: the lantern stands approximately at 22 inches high (about 2 ft), 11 inches across, each side of the roof of the six-sided pagoda is about 5 inches. Each of the carved 6 panels measures approx. 8 inches by 3 inches.Material: Shoushan stoneCondition: excellent. Minor nicks in various areas.Estimate: $2,500
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