Far East, China, Xian area, ca. 1850 CE. Truly a tour-de-force of extravagant carving, an antique Chinese temple corbel, hand-carved from a single piece of beautiful camphor wood, depicting an elaborately dressed figure, perhaps a Kuanyin/bodhissatva, donning elegant garments and a magnificent headdress, with his right hand making a clenched fist and held upward, seemingly supporting the upper end of the corbel, and his left hand holding a spear, directed downward toward the inner end of the corbel. The figure is surrounded by meticulously carved billowing clouds that create a sense of dynamic movement to this composition. The intricate carving extends across the entire surface of the front and back sides of this piece. Furthermore, the artist added another dimension to the piece's complexion with hand-painted black linear and curvilinear brushwork highlighting the contours of the clouds, the figure, and his vestments. Beyond the artistry, technique, and iconography of this sculptural work, the camphor wood itself, with its rich caramel tones and lustrous finish, is inherently beautiful. A very rare example mounted upon a rectantular, substantive wood block base. Size: corbel measures 4.125" deep x 17.625" W x 22.5" H (10.5 cm x 44.8 cm x 57.2 cm); 24.75" H (62.9 cm) with base

Provenance: Ex-Private Boulder, CO collection acquired at Indochine Gallery

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#117835

Roughness and abraded losses where the corbel was joined to temple. Stable crack to spear. Age cracks here and there. Surface wear with a few abrasions, one in particular at the figure's forehead. Stable age cracks and old chips to base.