Chinese Late 19th Century Pale Green Soapstone Sculpture of Three Vases

The sculpture features 3 different sized and shaped vases with intricately carved and pierced flowers and foliage. The soapstone itself has interesting character with its shading from mostly pale green with deep rust coloured and black striations. It is artfully composed and executed.

~ Dimensions ~

The sculpture is 7 inches (18cm) tall by 9 inches (23cm) wide by 2.3 inches (5.5cm) deep. The total weight is 1.7 kilograms.

~ Condition ~

The condition of the piece is decent with some very minor wear & chips to the edges and some scratches mainly to the back.

~ Soapstone ~

Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a metamorphic rock, a talc-schist. It is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich in magnesium. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occurs in the areas where tectonic plates are subducted, changing rocks by heat and pressure, with influx of fluids, but without melting. It has been a medium for carving for thousands of years.

Item ID: 440