Caishen Sculpture made from Burl Wood decorated with Sterling Silver and Black Agate eyes, embellished with Goldleaf and Red lacquer paint. He holds 3 Sterling Silver Yuanbaos with Gold leaf and wears a Sterling Silver hat (shā mào / 紗帽) decorated with 3 Carved Jades. Set on Black Granite base.
Caishen (Chinese: 财神, 'God of Wealth') is the mythological figure worshipped in the Chinese folk religion and Taoism. He has been identified with many historical figures, viewed as his embodied forms, among whom Zhao Gongming (Lord Zhao the Marshal"), Fan Li, and Bi Gan. Caishen's name is often invoked during the Chinese New Year celebrations. He is often depicted riding a black tiger and holding a golden rod. He may also be depicted with an iron tool capable of turning stone and iron into gold. Though Caishen is a Chinese folk deity, many Pure Land Buddhists venerate him as a buddha. In some Buddhist schools he is identified as Jambhala. Yuanbao was a type of gold and silver ingot currency used in imperial China from its founding under the Qin dynasty until the fall of the Qing in the 20th century. The monk carrying it signifies the spread of wealth to its followers.
Rolf von Bueren, an avid burl wood collector for over 40 years, personally travels to Japan to look for rare and beautiful pieces of burl woods – some that he keeps, some that he shares with his collector friends and Lotus Arts de Vivre designs. Burls result in a uniquely patterned wood, which is highly prized for its beauty. It is valued and sought after by artists, furniture makers and sculptors. The "wild grain" in the Burl makes the wood extremely dense and resistant to splitting, which made it valued for bowls, artifacts and sculptures, and is a popular wood in many auction houses across the world.
It took 8 master craftsmen with a combined production time of 3 months to complete the Happy Monk. From imagining its unique design, sculpting its shape, carving the wood, to employing a silver smith, great thought and care has gone into creating this timeless art piece.
Jade: 6.30 g.
Size: 34(W) x 42(L) x 52(H) cm.
Weight: 26.8 kg.
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