East Asia, China, Ming Dynasty, ca. 1368 to 1644 CE. A splendid, hand-carved granite baluster, displaying the form of a seated monkey on a cuboid plinth with legs drawn up before him as he holds a discoid object, perhaps a wheel, above his head. The adorable animal features a thick body and tubular limbs with skillfully delineated toes. Both arms are bent at the elbows, flanking its heads, while the snout is pointed downwards, displaying large annular eyes surrounded by undulating, parallel striations representing soft folds of flesh. Gazing straight forward, the naturalistic visage is comprised of incised nostrils and a thin mouth. Short, dashed striations representing a lush furry coat decorates the body of the intriguing animal. Note the natural white striations that further texturize the grey-hued body of this ancient beast! Size: 10.5" L x 10.5" W x 27.5" H (26.7 cm x 26.7 cm x 69.8 cm)

Ming Dynasty architects continued the Chinese tradition of having important buildings - towers, pavilions, palaces, meeting halls, etc. - built atop terraces, requiring a walk up a grand stone staircase to reach them. These are bordered by balustrades punctuated by balusters. Most famously, the group of buildings known as San Da Dian (The Three Great Halls) at the Forbidden City in Beijing, feature 1460 balusters. Viewed from a distance, these resemble a stone forest.

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-M. Kobiashi collection, Hawaii, USA, 1960 to 2000

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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#166572

Expected surface wear with abrasions, nicks, chips, and softening of detail throughout. Otherwise, intact and excellent with lovely earthen deposits in some areas.