Offered by Menken Works of Art
A Chinese bamboo wood carving of a Buddha’s hand finger citron, Foshou.
Late Ming to Qing dynasty, 17th/18th century.
The Buddha’s hand intricately carved from bamboo with openwork branches at the bottom and leafs flowing over from the side to the back where another small finger citron is smartly integrated in relief onto a branch.
About the finger citron:
The fruit may be given as a religious offering in Buddhist temples. According to tradition, Buddha prefers the “fingers” of the fruit to be in a position where they resemble a closed rather than open hand, as closed hands symbolize to Buddha the act of prayer.
In China, the Buddha’s hand fruit is a symbol of happiness, longevity, and good fortune. The first character (fo) of its name is a play on the word “blessings” (fu). The second character (shou) is a pun for “longevity” (shou).
Lit:
Bartholomew, Terese Tse – Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, p. 30.
Compare with a bamboo dish in The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, Object Number: 2015.500.6.2
Provenance:
Formerly in a private Belgian collection.
Dimensions:
Height 13.4 cm, width 8 cm, depth 2.6 cm.
Condition:
In good condition with a nice warm patination.
