A BAMBOO ROOT CARVED FIGURE OF A SAGE ATTRIBUTED TO FENG SANGUAN QING DYNASTY, 17TH / 18TH CENTURY

the bamboo root of a light brown tone, finely carved in the round as a seated sage, his hair in a chignon within a cloth hat, reclining on a rocky outcrop holding a peach in his right hand, and a lingzhi in his left, his crutch laying on the rock in front of him along with a beribboned double gourd, a lingzhi and a peony flower, stand

Collection of Edward T. Chow.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 25th April 2004, lot 1.

One Man's Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. W1.

Overall the carving and the stand are in very good condition.There is some expected light surface wear and one or two minute age cracks around the edges of the base. The actual colour is somewhat warmer and of a deeper hazelnut-brown tone compared to the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Although unsigned, the present figure of a Daoist sage is most probably the work of the famous early Qing period carver Feng Sanguan. In its carving style it is closely related to a signed bamboo figure of Liu Hai by Feng, the immortal depicted in a similar leisurely seated pose, illustrated in Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 140.

Feng, a native of Jiading, is recorded as active during the Kangxi period, with several members of his family highly skilled in the art of bamboo carving. Few works by him, especially those bearing his signature, have survived, making the present example especially rare.

See a fine bamboo carving of Dong Fangshuo, sold in these rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 467, where it is noted that the piece belongs to a small group of bamboo figures that can be attributed to the Kangxi period and in style relates to carvings generally associated with the reputable Feng family. Two related figural carvings are illustrated in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carvings, Beijing, 2004, pls. 41-42, the former bearing the signature of Feng Xilu, another famous Feng family member.