China Pair Monumental Antique Stone Spirit Pathway Tigers, Qing period 1750-1850

Hard to Find Pair (2) Display Pedestals from the 19th Century From China's Qing dynasty (1644-1912) a hard to find pair (2) of limestone carved "flower" pedestals - perfect for di...

China, a monumental pair (2) of 500 year old lime stone “Spirit Path” Equine horse head sculptures. Ming dynasty, (1368-1644 CE). Please view our video. A pair of near life size and robust head sections with fine, wavy combed manes, well defined mouths, ears, nostrils, and ornamental bridles, all carved in a medium to dark gray limestone with considerable weathering to surfaces. The smaller head with a later inscription on bottom and signed “Zhuang”. Formerly exhibited “Treasures from Asia”, Shelburne Vermont, Shelburne Art Center, 2006. Originally found in the vicinity of the village of Chuan near Luoyang City, Henan Provance, China. Each mounted on a custom iron display stand. Dimensions: A the smaller 32.5cm, 13” high and 62.5cm, 25” in length and with display stand, 60cm, 24” high; b the larger 37.5cm, 15” high and 67.5cm, 27” in length and with display stand 65cm, 26” high. Please view additional photographs from our Chinese antiquities catalog 35 Years Collecting 35 Treasures, page 60. History: Placing stone animals and human figures along spirit paths in front of important tombs can be traced back at least to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE), some two thousand years ago. In ancient times, stone animals and human figures placed before imperial tombs symbolized royal power and privilege in addition to decorative functions. Life size “spirit path” stone horse sculptures are known and can be viewed from Ming dynasty tombs including thirteen imperial tombs of the Ming Dynasty scattered over an area of forty square kilometers in Changping District to the northwest of Beijing. The first Ming tomb...

Our 34 inch tall Chinese Caishen's name is often invoked during Chinese celebrations! This is a large and unusual antique hand carved limestone Wealth God Caishen- coming from an old New England collection Hand Made and Hand Carved Measurements: 34 inches high and 15 inches wide, Period: late Qing dynasty, late 19th-early 20th century. This god grasps a silver sycee (an ancient form of silver wealth). Provenance: Coming from an old New England collection and originally acquired from a Shanghai private collection decades ago. History of China's Wealth God Caishen: Caishen's name is often invoked during the Chinese New Year celebrations! Caishen (simplified Chinese: 财神; traditional Chinese: 財神; literally: "God of Wealth") is the Chinese god...

China, a fine archaic male effigy hand carved from a granular medium to dark gray stone. Neolithic period, Hongshan culture (circa 4700-2900 BC) Likely a fertility fetish. Note the pecked surfaces and the stone carved hair line top knot. Quality: Fine original condition, no repairs, as collected. Dark varied patina from appropriate age. Dimensions: 13.5 inches tall and 6 inches width. About Hongshan Culture: The Hongshan culture was a Neolithic culture in northeastern China. Hongshan sites have been found in an area stretching from Inner Mongolia to Liaoning, and dated from about 4700-2900 BC. The culture is named after Hongshanhou, a site in Hongshan District, Chifeng. The Hongshanhou site was discovered by the Japanese archaeologist Torii Ryuzo in 1908 and extensively excavated in 1935 by Kosaku Hamada and Mizuno Seiichi. Provenance: Our private collection and accompanied by our Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity. Originally collected in the area of Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia. In addition, our Hongshan stone effigy...

Rare pair of large Chinese carved stone foo dog guardian lions. Originated from a house of a mandarin (a public official in the Chinese Empire), located on The Silk Road. Here they were placed in front of the gate, with the gate doors mounted on the base behind the lions. The pair consist of a male with a ball on his back, and a female holding a puppy. The ball represents the world and the puppy represents nature or a nurturing spirit. One stand lightly carved with a horse, the other with a deer. The front of the stand is carved with camel...

Often referred to as “Fu Dogs” in western culture, these handsome stone sentinels are iconic gatekeepers seen throughout China and elsewhere in Asia. Traditional symbols of protectio...

Pair of Chinese Marble Lions from the XIX century Elegant lions of the Quing Dynasty carved in white marble with chisel. They are in good conditio...

An unusual pair of Chinese carved Stone models of lions, each depicted with opposing heads and seated on lotus bases. In good condition and retaining a nicely weathered surface. Circ...