Disclaimer, I am unsure of the age of this vessel and unsure what stone it is but appears to be jade, jadeite or nephrite. I'll do my best to describe this piece but make no warranties and if you believe as I do, that this is a rare piece, I encourage you to seek out an expert option. I have yet to find a similar vessel which has made this difficult to nail down age or purpose.
I believe this craved stone vessel to be a Chinese pipe holder and censer combination. The space between the bottom figure's "wings" appears as a holder of some type, given the top is a censer it may well be a pipe holder.
The two mythological figures are playing instruments. The censer figure appears to be playing a Chinese Sheng and the bottom figure appears to be playing a Chinese Zhajiao (Trumpet). This vessel seems ancient and has some archaic style to the carving. Again, my apologies that I'm using the terms "seems", "appears" but I just can't find good comparables to validate further. This vessel is intriguing and is a candidate for the antiques roadshow!
Condition: I have not attempted to clean this, it has the normal wear of a very old piece. Pictures show condition details. I do not see any damage except a very minor chip on the rim of the censer (See closeup of censer without lid top edge of rim toward the front of the picture). The vessel weighs about 3 1/2 pounds.
Approximate measurements: 10 1/2 inches height, 8 1/2 inches long and 3 inches wide.
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