A CARVED IVORY FIGURE OF A SEATED SAGE LATE MING / EARLY QING DYNASTY

the patinated ivory of variegated creamy brown tones, carved in the round as a seated man with a long beard and moustache, his right elbow leaning against a rocky outcrop while his left hand rests on his raised left knee, wearing loose-fitting robes tied around his stomach with a sash and a cloth hat with two long ribbons falling onto his shoulders, the ribbons and the hems of the robes stained brown

Private collection, St. Petersburg, Florida, 1960.
Collection of Frank Donaldson, Tampa, Florida.
Sotheby’s New York, 17th April 1985, lot 121.

Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 74.

The figure is overall in very good condition with only some expected age cracks as visible on the photo. There are traces of light touch up with black lacquer in the interstice between the hat and the head of the sage. The actual colour is consistent with 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."

This fine ivory carving of a seated sage was possibly made in one of the ivory workshops in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, where carvings of small figures of deities, immortals or auspicious images were in vogue and in great demand by both domestic and foreign traders. Derek Gillman in Chinese Ivories from the Shang to the Qing, London, 1984, p. 48, suggests that the main period for the production of Zhangzhou ivories was from circa 1580 until the disruption of the Fujian coastline by the Qing forces fighting Zheng Chenggong (also known as Coxinga) a century later. Although Zhangzhou continued to trade and the local carving industries revived, the halcyon markets of the early 17th century were not rekindled.

While the identity of this seated figure remains a matter of speculation, the cloth hat with its trailing ribbons suggests that it may be intended as a Daoist figure; perhaps Zhongli Quan originally holding a fan or Dongfang Shuo holding peaches. For example, see ibid., p. 66, no. 45, for a similarly clad, bearded figure with a cloth cap holding a fan that identifies him as Zhongli Quan; or the ivory carving of Dongfang Shuo with his long beard, wearing a similar putuo hat and dressed in a long robe tied at the waist and holding a tray of peaches included in the exhibition Chinese Ivories from the Kwan Collection, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1990, cat. no. 32, together with another figure of Dongfang Shuo, cat. no. 53. Compare also an ivory carving of a courtier, offered in our London rooms, 4th May 1984, lot 296.