Carving of Chinese Cabbage with Grasshopper,
Ivory with stained colors,
Late Qing Dynasty to Modern Period (late 19th-early 20th)
23.3x9.5x16cm
Cat.278601
There is a long tradition in Chinese painting to illustrate insects and birds in a very realistic way. However, only in the Qing dynasty was this kind of artistic tradition adequately applied to other materials. Since ivory is easy to carve and color, many artists used it as a medium to explore the capacity of mimicking real objects.
This ivory carving is representative of this type of artistic pursuit. It is so realistic that the viewer cannot identify the material at first sight. Looking at the structure and colors of the object, we can see that the artist created them in an incredibly accurate manner. At the same time, the artist used subtle techniques to tie the various components of the object together in a pleasing composition. By combining the grasshopper and the other insect in contrasting light and dark colors the artist made the leaves stand out. Also, the small flowers serve to reduce the simplicity of the white part of the leaves and link the leaves to the stem, so that viewers will not feel that the white part of the cabbage is too bare. Similarly, these flowers link the grasshopper and the insect together.
(Commentary by Yuhang Li)
