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I wonder if anyone else in the forum has any experience with this kind of bamboo root carving. It's one of several I've encountered in estate sales and when researching auction results in the past several years but the only one I own. Am at a loss to say who it might depict, except to speculate it could be Zhong Kui squinting, trying to spot a demon on the horizon. Size is about 13 inches high.

Some of those seen in the auction results are called masks, though this one is carved in the round. There don't appear to be a huge number of these things to be found, but I have no particular basis to call this one antique; my guess would be late 20th century, because most other Chinese decorative wood carvings that turn up in the market seem to be post-World War II.

Any other input would be welcome.

Best regards,

Bill H.

The laughing squinter reminds me very much of Korean folk masks (eg, http://blog.korea.net/?p=13350), but don't know much about them.

I think I'll stick with this one. Some of those Korean masks look like they might be coming to get you!

I finally found an online source of such carvings, as well as raw roots for carving, in Changsha, Hunan (link). However, the artistic quality of the mask carving (described as an 'Evil Spirit') is lacking a bit compared to my example. Or maybe it's a case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder.

The new 'Evil Spirit' carving is listed for $43, but by comparison, a taller and better finished modern bamboo carving of the He-He Er Xian was going for over $2000 (good fortune is not without its price).

Cheers,

Bill H.



URL Title :Bamboo Carving

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