18TH CENTURY
This carving, made from a bamboo root, depicts a sage wearing a headcloth, with a wrinkled forehead, protruding hip bones, a long beard and busy eyebrows, and a thin, spare face. The sage shoulders are slightly hunched; he wears a long gown with a crossed collar, tied at the waist by a cord. His left arm hangs down loosely by his side, holding a bag, while his right arm is raised, holding a basket which contains the medicinal plant glossy ganoderma and other plants and flowers. He is resting on an exquisitely shaped stone, with his knees bent and right foot raised. This bamboo carving is superbly executed in a way that brings the subject matter to life. The basket of glossy ganoderma that the sage is carrying has auspicious connotations of long life. H: 8.2 cm