Carved Tibetan Buddha
OwnerOwned by
James Cromar Watt
(Aberdeen, Scotland, 1862 - 1940)
Date19th century
Object NameFigure
Mediumsoapstone and gold
ClassificationsApplied Art
DimensionsOverall: Height: 16.8 cm
Max: Width: 11.2 cm
Max: Width: 11.2 cm
AcquisitionJames Cromar Watt Bequest, 1941.
CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS014499
About MeCarved white soapstone Tibetan Buddha decorated with gilding.
Hardstone carving is a form of decorative art that has been a part of Oriental culture for over 3,000 years. This is largely due to many of the precious and semi-precious stones used, such as jade, turquoise, malachite, quartz and agate, occurring naturally in certain East Asian countries, including China, Tibet and Burma.
These different types of stones feature a wide variety of properties that Chinese artists were able to exploit, incorporating the natural coloration and textural qualities of the stones into their designs. Soapstone in particular has a wide colour range, from white through to almost black, depending on its composition. It is so named because of its soap like texture that derives from a 30% to 80% talc content, which also gives it its softness, making it easy to intricately carve.
Possibly 19th century
James Cromar Watt
Qing Dynasty Qianlong/Jiaqing Period, 1736 - 1820
Qing Dynasty, possibly 19th century
Qing Dynasty, possibly 19th century
Qing Dynasty, possibly 19th century
Qing Dynasty, possibly 19th century
Qing Dynasty, possibly 19th century
Qing Dynasty, possibly 19th century
James Cromar Watt
Qing Dynasty, Daoguang Period (early 19th Century)
