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Ivory standing immortal
Ming Dynasty, 17th century
Height: 20 cm | 7 7/8 in
Click image for full-size version
Carved in solid ivory, the immortal stands with one foot placed slightly forwards – his body following the natural curve of the cream-coloured ivory. Up against his left shoulder, he holds a large peach between his two raised hands, and this gesture creates a contraposition as he looks to the right. The figure is dressed in loose-fitting trousers and a dhoti that is tied in a bow, below his waist; the shoulders are covered by a long shawl that collects over his arms in folds, and falls to the knees. His face is laughing – with open mouth, long beard and moustache; heavily lidded eyes look up to the sky, below a deeply furrowed brow (signifying wisdom). The top of his head – the cranium large and domed – is covered by a cap, with tassels painted in black falling down over each shoulder.
Similar example: Chinese Ivories from the Shang to the Qing, The Oriental Ceramic Society and The British Museum, 1984 – figure 99 illustrates a similar model, in wood.
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