Chinese Carved Ivory Pagoda. XIX Century. Contains a Buddha behind the Upper Doors.

Lovely antique ox bone pagoda made in China in the 19th century. This small and elegant article, with a simple and straight shape, is completely made of ox bone blocks disposed around a central gap, making a tower-shaped structure. The blocks have rectangular and trapezoidal shapes, and there are also some cylindrical and triangular pieces which are part of the small balconys railings and the roof. The pagoda is in good condition and the ox bone is well preserved, with no broken or missing parts. At the top of the pagoda, under the roof, we can see two small doors which hide a sitting Buda with a gentle expression in his face. Every ox bone plate of the pagoda is finely hand-carved. The carving depicts different scenes related to spirituality, religion and Chinese mythology. The doors which hide the Buda are carved with the figures of two smiling old men in a prayerful position, with halos surrounding their heads. The motive of the bird (probably the Chinese Phoenix called Fenghuang, the mythological bird that reigns over the rest of the birds) is carved in the roof, the sides of the upper cubicle and also in the cubicles base. We can also see floral designs, typical of Chinese decorations. The small room designed to house the figure of Buda sits on a platform; this platform is built on a column, which acts like a base. Around the platform there is a delicately made railing, as delicate as the rest of the ox bone plates which form this original and ancient piece. It we turn the pagoda upside down, we can see a label sticked to the base in which there is a number (5236) with a red frame. The pagoda is in good condition and shows all the charm of Chinese ox bone carving, as well as being an item full of the Eastern religions spirituality. The beauty of the carved motives, the noble material and the originality of this piece turn it into a wonderful Chinese antique, which will be the perfect finishing touch for any showcase which displays the best examples of Chinese ancient art. Measurements: 115 mm width x 290 mm height.