Antique Chinese Ivory Twin Boy Acrobats
AGE: – 18th Century – Qing Dynasty
CONSTRUCTION: – Old Ivory
HEIGHT: – 6.5cm
WIDTH:– 6.5cm
WEIGHT:– 100
#121ch
Rare 18th-century Antique Chinese Ivory Twin Boy Acrobats are unique in that all four sides show the figure of one child, two from the back and two from the front.
The Chinese believe figures such as those of small children or baby boys represent good luck and good fortune.
The rings which each boy held are missing/broken.
Read MoreA Similar set of twin boys are displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Met’s gallery is devoted to Chinese treasury objects.
18th-century Chinese twin boys ivory figures that are part of the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. These figures are remarkable for their intricate design and symbolic meaning.
The figures are composed of four bodies and two heads that belong to four entwined boys—one pair seated and the other kneeling on all fours. The group represents the principle of ancient Chinese cosmology known as liangyi sheng sixiang in which two primary forces (yin and yang) generate four images. The design, which can be read either vertically or horizontally, further exemplifies the artist’s familiarity with rotational symmetry.
The figures are dated to the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), a period of cultural flourishing and imperial expansion in China. Ivory carving was one of the many arts that reached new heights of sophistication and refinement under the patronage of the Qing emperors and nobility. Ivory was imported from Africa and Southeast Asia through trade and tribute and was highly valued for its rarity, durability and beauty.
The Met’s gallery is devoted to Chinese treasury objects. You can also learn more about other examples of Chinese ivory carvings from different periods and styles by browsing The Met’s online collection or visiting other museums that have similar works on display.