A RARE COCONUT SLIPPER-FORM SMALL VESSEL TOGETHER WITH A ROOT WOOD CARVING OF SHOULAO
Shoe vessel, Qing dynasty, 18th/19th century
The root wood sculpture, Qing dynasty, 19th century
The slipper-form vessel delicately carved in relief with a dragon amidst cloud scrolls and above waves on each side of the vessel and contesting a flaming pearl and cloud scrolls at the toe of the slipper, and further clouds at the heel, the base engraved with a large leaf; together with a root wood carving of Shoulao, the upper body, head and high cranium carved from a darker plainer section of the root wood, the lower body and a lingzhi rising or held in his right hand is carved from a paler knotty-burl wood.
The 'shoe' vessel: 3 1/4in (8.2cm) across; the root wood figure: 7 3/4in (19.6cm) high
Footnotes:
清 十八或十九世紀 椰雕海水龍紋履擺件
清 十九世紀 根雕壽老擺件