Beschreibung:

Fine and rare Chinese ivory figure of a seated lady, possibly an Imperial Consort, 19th Century, naturalistically carved and holding a slender hoe in her left hand and her right hand resting on a basket of flowers whilst she sits in a wide brimmed straw hat dressed with a feather, and attired in European taste with full bodice and dress flowing over her feet, seated on elaborately carved rock work punctuated on the back with flowers and foliage, 20cm, the ivory presented on an arcaded wooden and cloisonne enamelled stand with silver wirework detail, 8cm, and complete with a silk lined wooden carrying case with glazed sliding door, 39cm Note: This particular figure appears to have been based on a painting in the collection at the Palace Museum, Beijing, which depicts a lady in precisely the same pose and similarly dressed. This painting is rarely illustrated but appears in Michael Sullivan's 'The Meeting of Eastern and Western Art from 16th Century to the Present Day', Thames & Hudson 1973, fig. 42, where it is described at as an anonymous portrait of Xiang Fei dressed 'En Paysanne' and is dated to the mid 18th Century. The painting is also discussed in a small number of Chinese publications including 'Shi Quan Lao Ren Yu Xiang Fei' by Liu Jaiju in Gugong Wenwu Yuekan, 2003, pg. 50. The lady in the painting discussed has traditionally been thought to represent Emperor Qianlong's famously beautiful concubine Xiang Fei 'The Fragrant Concubine'. An earlier figure, considered to be an Imperial carving and of the period of Emperor Qianlong was sold by Messrs. Christie's on 15th May 2007 in London Sold for