East Asia, China, late Qing Dynasty to early Republic Period, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. A sizable, hand-carved wooden Buddhist temple altar of a tall, rectangular form that rests upon an openwork, latticework-lined base. The slender temple bears two lengthy walls adorned with applique dragons, clouds, and birds surrounding a hilltop pagoda, and the lower panels beneath it bear images of flowers and branch-dwelling birds. The narrow lateral panels each display long-necked cranes resting near tall trees, each beneath wispy clouds and a circular moon. The top panels above the tall walls have additional avian and foliate motifs. The sloped roof is lined with petite tiles, with projecting wooden elements on each of the four corners, and a lining of openwork dragons along the topmost crest. A superb religious artifact! Size (w/ base): 18.25" L x 49.5" W x 42.375" H (46.4 cm x 125.7 cm x 107.6 cm)

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Micko Micklautz collection, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, collected 1940 to 1998

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#164905

Repairs to several zoomorphic appliques, openwork elements, and projecting elements along roofline and corners, with chipping and adhesive residue along break lines. Loosening to areas of base, with chipping to some slender elements, fading and abrasions to some appliques as well as original pigment, and a few fissures across base and altar body. Great preservation to zoomorphic detailing throughout.