This figurine carves a monkey astride a kneeling water buffalo, and the detail goes well beyond the pairing itself — ribs, nostrils, and eyelids on the buffalo are all rendered with real observational care, while the monkey's expression comes across as genuinely impish rather than generically animal. That's the sort of characterisation that separates a competent carving from one worth stopping for.
The monkey-and-buffalo pairing carries its own layer of meaning in Chinese decorative arts, often read as a wordplay-driven wish for rank or promotion, though it works just as well purely as a piece of skilled figural carving without needing the symbolism spelled out. Dating to the late Qing dynasty, the quality of the carving throughout reflects real skill and patience on the part of the carver.
Condition notes
Good antique condition. Losses to buffalo's knees at the front and part of its tail.
