Carved Bicolor Stone Group of Two Figures with Auspicious Bats
Name/Title
Carved Bicolor Stone Group of Two Figures with Auspicious BatsEntry/Object ID
SC2004Description
Chinese carved variegated ornamental stone figural group depicting two male figures, the principal figure an elderly man with a long moustache and beard wearing a cap or headdress, accompanied by a second robed figure immediately beside and behind him. On the contrasting pale side of the stone are at least two carved bats, traditional Chinese auspicious emblems associated through the homophone fú (蝠, “bat”) and fú (福, “blessing/good fortune”). The identities of the two figures and the precise narrative remain undetermined. The carver has deliberately exploited reddish-brown, cream-white and honey-tan zones of the stone to distinguish the figures, bats and surrounding forms.Type of Sculpture
Free StandingArtwork Details
Medium
Appears to be Soapstone or Shoushan stoneSubject
Two male figures, including an elderly long-bearded sage or immortal, accompanied by two auspicious bats symbolizing blessings/good fortuneCategory
Chinese carved stone
Made/Created
Artist
Maker presently unidentifiedTime Period
20th CenturyEthnography
Cultural Region
Continent
AsiaCulture/Tribe
Chinese