When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Provenance
DESCRIPTION:
Offered is an impressive vintage hand-carved alabaster ashtray or decorative catchall featuring the expressive face of an elderly Asian sage with a long, deeply carved flowing beard.
Measuring approximately 9.5 inches long, this substantial piece displays exceptional hand-carved detail throughout the forehead, eyebrows, eyelids, nose, mustache, ears and numerous individual strands of the beard. The creamy alabaster has developed an attractive warm honey-colored patina that enhances its sculptural character.
This piece has been in my family since the late 1950s. It is believed to have been acquired by my father while our family lived in Japan near Johnson Air Base. Based on its age, subject and original function, it may have been produced for the postwar American military and tourist souvenir market.
Although another example of this general design has been located, this piece is noticeably larger, longer and considerably more detailed. The differences between the two examples indicate that these were individually hand-carved, possibly by artisans working from a shared workshop design, rather than molded or mechanically mass-produced.
The recessed area formed by the sage’s flowing beard was designed as an ashtray. Carbon residue from cigarette use remains inside the bowl, providing visible evidence of its original purpose and history. Today, it could also be displayed as a piece of mid-century Asian decorative art or used as a catchall or trinket dish.
DETAILS:
• Hand-carved alabaster
• Approximately 9.5 inches long
• Believed to date from the late 1950s
• Elderly Asian sage or wise-man design
• Believed acquired in Japan near Johnson Air Base
• Longtime family-owned piece
• Deep, individually carved beard details
• Natural cream and honey-colored patina
• Original carbon residue inside the ashtray
• No visible maker’s signature
CONDITION:
Vintage used condition with an attractive age-related patina and carbon residue remaining inside the bowl from cigarette use. The residue is part of the ashtray’s history and has intentionally not been aggressively removed. The piece shows minor surface wear, marks and imperfections consistent with its age, handmade construction and original use.
It has not been aggressively cleaned or restored. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they are an important part of the condition description.
A distinctive and unusually detailed example of mid-century Asian hand-carved alabaster art with meaningful family provenance.
