Featured Oriental Soapstone(?) Dragon Box - Octagon

@Any Jewelry
Did you notice the size and weight?

I'm more inclined to think it is a stone or plaster base that has been coated.


Barry, the piece in the museum is probably cinnabar.
Do you remember how long ago your brother gave it to you?

Can you get a close up with better light of what you think is damage. Want to see what is under the coating.

 

I agree with resin. I have sold many pieces made of this. I would have to see it to be sure. Think it is called Shoshaun. Spelling? The Asian stone carvers save the dust and waste from the carvings and then they crush it and mix it with resin and inject it under pressure in different forms I may be wrong but it looks like items I have had in the past.

 

Interesting. So this dust would add to the weight and the color?

 

T

 

I have no problem with the idea of resin being heavy, I use a small resin 'okimono' as a paperweight, it does a perfect job. This is a good quality resin.

 

Shoushan stone?

 

Agree with resin too, here is my resin
box, bought new in a Vietnamese shop in France.
26cm long 9cm wide.... 600 grams!

 

Heavy Resin!

 

Okay... I was able to get the total weight; I dug out a scale I have never used before for mailing and the complete object fit on it nicely - 2 pounds 6.9 ounces.

The measurements, to the best I could get them, are just a shy of 5.25" i diameter (which, if they did use inches to make the piece... not "that" old, would be my guess) and just over 1.75" high, not including the "carved" dragon head, which rises above the rim.

I have Multiple pictures below. In one, I have taken a picture of two panels that show the same dragon carving, but with the variances I spoke of - each one is dissimilar. I found two areas that I perceive as damage ( sad face emoji here) which shows what I believe to be the inner material. As well, I took a picture of the inside of the lid again, but closer up, to where you can see what looks to be a pattern in the material. Also, as stated, if not visible in any of the pictures below, the base is a different color than the top - so, would this add to the "resin" likelihood?

Again, thank you ALL for your input!

(Oh, as to when I got it from my brother, it was about 4 years ago. He had, from what I remember, gotten it from an elderly gentleman in Thailand, or some part of Southeast Asia as a gift.)

 

One more quick note - there is a fair amount of detail tucked under the pieces that are seen from above. So, if it came from a mold of sorts, I don't know how this detail could be here, unless the dragon was placed onto the lid after it was completed and after the lid was completed; but I don't see any signs of this.

 

That does seem to be close to the material of this piece

 

I know you can pour resin into a silicone mold, though I have no idea what they made use to create these pieces.

 

Using a silicone mold can produce detailed parts like your dragon......https://www.amazon.com/Mermaid-Aphr...MGJN06M8RTX&psc=1&refRID=Q5B1W7GQXMGJN06M8RTX

 

I see what you are saying. Curious as to why each panel doesn't have an identical replica of the dragon on it, but the resin theory does make sense. I'm sure they have resin in Thailand! ;0)

Thanks.

 

The model for the mold was hand fabricated and not made by a precision computer operated carving machine,that is the difference.

 

I would think they could have "stamped" each of the eight panels with the same stamp - but what you are saying definitely makes sense. I have had it for about 4 years and thought it was a common (nothing special) piece until just recently; you are just telling me I was right to begin with! Thanks, Hollyblue, and All.

 

HAH!! I just found its twin - but made out of metal. The images showing on the top side panels match - at least two I see match, and match exactly. The image on the lower panels is very close and the same theme.

https://www.auctionzip.com/auction-...etal-octagonal-censer-decorated-w_B0FA3A4C2B/

 

Here is another resin example which has detail tucked under, my faux okimono aka heavy resin paperweight:



Note the rope near the centre:


In case anyone is wondering, it is definitely resin, the bottom:


I sincerely apologize for the beheaded rat in the first pic.

The technique of replicating fine detail has been around for some time, this piece was given to me ca 1980, when it was already second hand.

 

It is so well modeled! I love your bunch of rats