Rare, Museum-Quality Ivory Turtle, late Qing/Republic Ivory China, late Qing Dynastie (1644-1912) / Republic era (1912-1949) With imperial seal Eyes made of tiger’s eye gemstones Beautiful patina Dimensions: 69 x 42 cm Good condition Provenance: from a German private collection A museum-quality, figural ivory sculpture of considerable size This rare ivory turtle dates to the late Qing Dynastie (1644-1912) / Republic era (1912-1949). Each scale is nailed onto a wooden core with ivory nails. The shell is partly inscribed in fine characters with Buddhist teachings. The seal of the Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736-1795). The Emperor was a collector of turtles, which he also liked to consume for he was convinced of its healing powers. In Chinese culture, the turtle is one of the Four Fabulous Animals and a symbol of longevity. The historical Buddha Siddhartha Gautama told his students the following story: In an ancient river lived a charitable turtle. One day it fell asleep on the banks of the river. An ant discovered the reptile and called upon 80,000 ants to feed of it. The turtle awoke in great pain. To be saved from the pain, it had to plunge into the water, but then the 80,000 ants would have died. Instead the turtle decided to feed the ants with its own flesh and blood. The turtle shows the dating “the fourth day of June in the year 1759” (24th regnal year of Emperor Qianlong). It was presumably made for a Buddhist celebration. Sculptures of turtles were often adorned with Buddhist paintings for festive occasions. The ivory figure is in good condition with wear consistent with age. The head is a little loose. Some parts have been reattached. The turtle measures 69 cm in length and 42 cm in width. Starting Bid : 38000 Shipping of this lot is only possible within the European Union.