Chinese Spiritual Sage Wood Carving.

Carved wooden figure of a religious elder or sage with ceremonial garb and long, flowing beard.

Condition: Significant loss to polychrome painting.

Size: 16 x 4 3/4 x 4 in.

Chinese sage figures, often crafted in bronze, ceramic, or jade, represent revered philosophers, scholars, and immortals whose wisdom and virtue embody the ideals of Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist traditions. Typically depicted as elderly men with flowing robes, long beards, and serene expressions, these figures emphasize qualities of longevity, enlightenment, and moral authority. Sometimes shown with symbolic attributes—such as scrolls for knowledge, peaches for immortality, or staffs for guidance—they served both as decorative art and as objects of veneration in homes, temples, and scholarly settings. Their presence reflects the deep cultural respect for learning, harmony with nature, and the pursuit of spiritual refinement that has shaped Chinese philosophy and aesthetics for centuries.

Significant loss to polychrome painting.

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