A CARVED AMETHYST FIGURE OF GUANYIN, QIANLONG MARK AND OF THE PERIODChina, 1736-1795. The four-character reign mark is engraved in seal-script to the base. The slender goddess wears long robes falling down in masterfully arranged drapes with neatly incised hems, stands with her hands folded above her waist, the face carved with a gentle expression and her hair drawn up into a tall topknot draped by a cowl. Provenance: Property from a private owner in California, USA. Condition: Fissures, flaws and clouds inherent to the mineral. Some minute nicks to the edges. One crack through the neck with an old restoration.Weight: 1,570 g Dimensions: Height 25 cmThe transparent stone is of a pale violet tone with lighter inclusions, fine veining, and shows a smooth hand-polish with a silky matt shine, different to the polish found on later statues and typical of the 18th century. The present amethyst statue, skillfully carved in the round, is unusual for its wonderful craftsmanship and the use of the scarce material. Only a limited number of amethyst carvings from the Qing dynasty is known, predominantly small in size, such as seals and snuff bottles, designed for the scholar's desk or the gentleman's pocket. One such example is a pale amethyst flower vessel carved with lingzhi and clouds, preserved in the Shenyang Palace Museum. Another amethyst carving, in the form of a reclining immortal, is in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei. Literature comparison: See also an amethyst oval seal carved with a recumbent chilong and the hall name Leshantang (Delight in Goodness Hall), made during the Yongzheng period for the future Qianlong Emperor while he was still a prince, preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and published in Classics of the Forbidden City: Imperial Seals of the Ming & Qing Dynasties, Beijing, 2008, catalog number 182, page 222.乾隆款及年代紫晶雕觀音像 中國,1736-1795。底部有乾隆四字款。觀音穿著飄逸長袍,下擺整齊,雙手交叉置於腹部。臉部表情溫和,頭戴天冠。 來源:美國加利福尼亞私人財產 品相:天然礦石固有的裂縫,缺陷和雲層。 邊緣有些刻痕。頸部有一條舊時修復痕跡。 重量:1,570克 尺寸:高25 厘米