Description
A RARE MAMMOTH TUSK FIGURE OF SHOULAO, KANGXI
China, 1661-1722. Shoulao is carved standing with his characteristic tall forehead, long beard and downcast eyes. He holds a staff in both hands and is dressed in long flowing robes tied at the waist. The characteristic crystalline bands and islands were cleverly utilized to enhance the liveliness of the depiction. Modern wood base. (2)
Condition: Fine natural patina. Significant wear, traces of use, age cracks and minor losses.
Provenance: From a private estate.
Weight: 379.5 g (excluding base).
Dimensions: Height 22.6 cm (excluding base).
This unusual material comes from the fossilized tusks of the extinct Paleolithicera wooly mammoth. It is recorded that in the Kangxi period, Chinese traders went to Siberia seeking to buy mammoth tooth ivory. The tusk is difficult to hollow out and polish, making statues carved from this material extremely rare.