

Antique Chinese Daoist Immortal Figure
Antique Chinese Buffalo Horn Carving of a Female Immortal | Standing Figure of Guanyin
Age:19th Century
Descriptive qualities& condition:
Dimensions: 11-0”h x 3-0”w x 1-3/4”d
This beautifully carved figure is standing and dressed in long flowing robes and holding a grouping of flowering branches in the left-right hand. Her right hand is held with thumb and index finger and hand supporting the arrangement. She has a placid expression with a soft smile beneath her hair dressed up in one large bun and covered with a cowl that tops her outer garment. The panels of the gown are intricately etched giving a decorative finish to the multi-layered garment. The horn has rich honey tones and deep brown streaks throughout the figure. The horn at the base matches the etching on the gown with a wood inset that has script on paper. The piece was purchased from the daughter of the Chew Family, Frances Marie, “aka Sister Mary Asha shown in the Center of this image), and her mother who was the last to operate the China Art Center in Caramel, California.
Condition: Excellent condition for the piece is perfect, with no chipping, missing elements or color loss, and has been carefully preserved. A beautiful patinated finish, retaining the original craftsmanship. Meets the standards of the collector of the Chinese Daoist art genre.
Additional Information: Asia is the native home of buffalo horn, in which the animal is never killed or harmed to just harvest their horns. When a farmer’s water buffalo dies at the end of a long and productive life, the horns are harvested. They are never wasted because of their importance in medical practice and religious beliefs.
Horn craft has a rich cultural heritage in Asia. According to archeologists, horns, or more specifically buffalo carvings, were among the first materials utilized for both decorative and practical applications for hundreds of years. In China Horn was carved in the images of deities, mythological figures, and sacred animals.