(2) Chinese Carved Soapstone Sculptures.

One is a woman holding a scroll, and the other is a grapevine with an attached stone base. The female figure has kanji written on the bottom of it.

Condition: Minor apologies on both pieces. 

Largest Size: 1 x 4 x 6 in. 

For millennia the Chinese used soapstone to make a wide variety of art and items, including dishes, utensils, plates, teapots, and boxes. However, Yixing clay teapots (stoneware made from a reddish-brown clay found in that specific region) became the preferred and influential type starting in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Soapstone continued to be used for art, with the more greener hues heavily desired for their similar appearance to jade, and during the Qing Dynasty nostalgia for older forms and ornate designs led to a revival of using soapstone for a broad range of household items, although on a much smaller scale than in antiquity. 

Minor apologies on both pieces. 

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