Fuhurokuju. China, 20th century. Lot n° 49

Fuhurokuju. China, 20th century. Coral. Wooden base. Weight: 116 gr (with base). Measurements: 10.5 x 5.5 x 2.5 cm (without base); 13 x 9 x 5.5 cm (with base). Coral carved figure starring one of the seven Buddhist gods of fortune. Fuhurokuju is a god of wisdom and longevity, as symbolized by his developed skull and long beard. It is usual for him to carry, as in this case, peaches of immortality. Among the most beautiful products that the sea offers to the vanity of humans is undoubtedly the red coral, which in all times has served as a precious adornment with which many peoples adorned and ornamented themselves. In some Eastern cultures, red coral is not only a highly esteemed adornment, but also a sign of dignity or command: the mandarins of China wore it as an attribute of their authority. The Turks were also very fond of coral ornaments, which they wore not only on their person, but also in the decoration and ornamentation of their homes. The Greeks designated coral by the name of korallion, which means "ornament of the sea", this word passed into Latin as corallium, from which the word coral was derived. The color of the limestone shaft offers a great variety of shades ranging from red to pink and some of these colorations have a delicate and soft pink hue, the most sought after by divers. The limestone shaft is so compact and homogeneous that it can be subjected to the most perfect polishing without disintegration and cracking, a property that allows it to be worked and carved in a thousand different ways to achieve an infinite number of decorative or artistic objects.