清 核雕麻姑獻壽|Pendant with Daoist divinities

Unknown

19th century · Fruit stone · Asian Art

Both sides of this fruit pit are meticulously carved with images of Daoist immortals, including the fairy Magu with her deer attendant and Shoulao, God of Longevity. The small size and hard surface of fruit stones (usually ganlan, also known as “Chinese olives”) make them extremely difficult to carve, which is why this craft was highly valued. Very few of these objects were created and even fewer survived.

Artist

Unknown

Date

19th century

Medium

Fruit stone

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Dwight P. Robinson, 1954