Country Group: China, Japan and Korea

Item id: 8216

Ming Dynasty Lacquer Buddha body stuffed with scrolls and other things (seeds, leaves, cotton, etc) on an early carved custom base, with ivory head and hands (probably 18/19th replacements that cannot be sold with the body as I do not have paperwork I will make no exceptions for this as the laws are extremely serious for violations- I would sell the body alone). You can see one of the scrolls in the shot of the underside, which has a triangle that can be removed. There are some chipping and minor cracks, as seen in photos, but no significant damage or repairs. The base appears original (600 years old!) and is very finely carved hard dark wood (rare and valuable in and of itself). Oversized at 14 inches (body alone). Very rare piece. I once saw a nearly identical body (alone with no head or hands as they are carved of elephant ivory) sell at auction for close to $30,000 though I cannot find the reference to include in this listing. I do have original black and white photos from the 1970s along with letters from a well-known university academic who has written many books on Asian sculpture describing the piece along with his opinions, which should be sufficient to apply for CITES authorization to recognize this piece to be eligible to be considered under CITES regulations. These will be provided to the winner, who may apply for the CITES approval for the head and hands to be approved to be accepted from the current ban on ivory, but currently, the body alone with NO HEAD/HANDS (FIRM) is being sold. The next owner can make Replacement heads and hands at their own cost if so desired. If they are successful in getting the CITES certificate and can provide a copy that would allow the head and hands to legally be sold/gifted in the USA, they will be given to the winning bidder at no extra cost. I will honor this offer for a minimum of a year after the auction takes place. Opening bid cut by 60% from 2 auctions AGO. This has a place of honor in a central place in my home. It has been with me for many years as part of my personal collection and has only been made available for sale for the first time recently. The start price has been lowered by several thousand dollars from the original start price.______________________________________________________________________________________________New Information as of 1/9 2024-Please Check Back- We are working on getting a certificate to sell WITH HEAD and HANDS now if the Government permits! We have an application with the government. We will keep you posted. ________________________________________________