Juliette Hammer
Sale Coordinator
Lot 36
A BAMBOO FINGER CITRON CARVING 18th century
14 May 2025, 10:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£1,500 - £2,000
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Chen Xie
Specialist
Edward Luper
Specialist, Chinese Works of Art
Lazarus Halstead
Head of Chinese and Asian Art, London
A BAMBOO FINGER CITRON CARVING
18th century
Naturalistically carved in the auspicious form of a 'Buddha's hand' citron accompanied by a small one, both issuing from a gnarled branch with leaves, the bamboo of warm caramel brown tone.
19cm (7 1/2in) long.
Naturalistically carved in the auspicious form of a 'Buddha's hand' citron accompanied by a small one, both issuing from a gnarled branch with leaves, the bamboo of warm caramel brown tone.
19cm (7 1/2in) long.
Footnotes
十八世紀 竹雕佛手
The finger citron, commonly known as Buddha's hand, is highly prized for its intense fragrance, traditionally used to perfume rooms and as a ritual offering at household shrines, especially during the Spring Festival. Its distinctive shape, resembling an outstretched hand, is believed to symbolise wealth and prosperity. During the late Ming period, the Buddha's hand became one of the most cherished motifs in art, valued not only for its striking natural form but also for its deep cultural and auspicious significance. See four related bamboo finger citron carvings, 17th century, illustrated by Ip Yee and L.C.S.Tam, Chinese Bamboo Carving, vol.1, Hong Kong, 1978, pp.180-187. See also a bamboo 'finger citron' carving, Qianlong/Jiaqing, signed Yunzang, illustrated in Splendour of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1992, p.395, no.261.
See a similar bamboo finger citron, 17th/18th century, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 13 May 2015, lot 232. See also a related bamboo finger citron, 17th century, which was sold at Christie's New York, 17 September 2010, lot 1249.