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These Asian statues were owned by my aunt and were handed down through the family after her death. Back in the late seventies possibly early eighties the statues were appraised at around $3000. I haven't been able to find anything like them on the internet and I've emailed a couple of collectors who didn't know anything about them either. Not sure if anyone hear will know anything either. Each statue weighs approx. 5lbs or more. The woman is 1'9" tall and the man is 1'8 1/2" tall.

Kellie, your figures resemble "chinoiserie," a term applied to decorative items produced in the Chinese style, usually in the West but also in Japan and some other spots in Asia. While your photos lack sufficient resolution to comment on the material of which the figures are made, their general proportions appear to be inconsistent with traditional Chinese aesthetics. If the previous appraisal was based in part on a preconception that they were made in Asia of a precious material such as ivory, then you might wish to revisit their value with another appraiser who specializes in oriental art. Much chinoiserie of this sort was molded in resin or other plasticized composites. Good luck, Bill H

Chinoiserie entered the European repertory in the attempts to imitate Chinese lacquerlike materials and decoration. I would have to agree with Bill; these two examples are made in France.

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