 |
|
Home |
|
Mid to Late 19th Century Ivory Brush - Lingzhi - Qing browse these categories for related items... All Items: Hidden:Viewable: Pre 1910: item # 793862 Please refer to our stock # ICHI 2815 when inquiring.
Ichiban Japanese & Oriental Antiques Post Office Box 395 Marion, CT 06444-0395 203.272.7392 Guest Book SOLD - $295.00 |
|
||||||||
|
An elephant ivory brush rest in the shape of a Lingzhi mushroom. If you look carefully, you can see the distinctive spider web grain of the elephant ivory in a number of areas. In Chinese, the Lingzhi mushroom means "herb of spiritual potency" and has also been described as "mushroom of immortality". This interesting example is in fine elephant ivory with the mushroom at one end - then then the balance of the brush rest is a long curved stem.
The Lingzhi form is most frequently found in the shape of a scepter carved of wood, jade or molded into some form of ceramic. This is the first time we have seen one as a brush rest. The piece measures 6” long by 3/8” thick and is in excellent condition with a nice golden patina. We date it to the mid to late 19th century, Qing Dynasty. Scepters with the Lingzhi fungus are called ruyi - also known as Ju-i (a word meaning "what you will") , and were considered as bringers of good luck, especially when presented to a senior friend or relative on an important occasion. The shape is believed to have been adopted in the Song Dynasty, however no examples have been dated earlier than the late Ming period. The remote ancestor of the ruyi appears to have been a wand held by Buddhist priests when discoursing. |
|||||||||
| ||||||
