Old Camphor Wood Chinese Warrior Guan Yu

Description

Old Warrior Guan Yu hand carved from camphor wood. A very refine and smooth piece done by skilled carving master from 1930’s. From a private collection of a sculpture artist from his very own respectful master. Great lively details on his armor and robe. With him sitting peacefully reading atop a natural form chair of a pine tree. One piece only. Originally from Taiwan.

Guan Yu (died January or February 220), courtesy name Yunchang. He was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during late Eastern Han dynasty of China.
Along with Zhang Fei, they shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei. They accompanied him on most of his early exploits. Guan Yu played a significant role in the events leading up to the end of the Han dynasty. As well as the establishment of Liu Bei’s state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period.

Guan Yu’s life was lionised and his achievements glorified after his death that he was deified during the Sui dynasty. Through generations of storytelling, culminating in the 14th-century historical novel of the Three Kingdoms, his deeds and moral qualities have been given immense emphasis, making Guan Yu one of East Asia’s most popular paradigms of loyalty and righteousness. He is still worshiped by many Chinese people today.

Camphor wood has a long history involving sculpture carving in Taiwan.
Due to the natural pest-resistant properties of camphor wood made it desirable for creating utensils and figures. Camphor trees have a long history and cultural significance in Taiwan. Nowadays, Taiwanese government has implemented stricter laws and a DNA database for protected tree species to deter illegal logging, which has its impacted the wood carving industry.

Noted: In 1976, this exploitation ceased, as the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) was enacted to counter damage to national ecosystems on forest lands. Since then, Taiwan’s efforts have focused on both preserving and harvesting/reforesting biological diversity. In 2021, the Taiwanese government established a DNA database for Taiwan cypress and cedar trees to help protect the nation’s forests and to prevent illegal poaching after a four-year collaboration between the MJIB (Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau) and the Forestry Bureau and Academia Sinica’s Biodiversity Research Center. Since 2017, they have been collecting over 600 tree samples which are classified as protected species under the Forestry Act. Almost like a fingerprint, the DNA database keeps track of these trees and gives them an identification card.
https://hir.harvard.edu/theft-in-our-forests-examining-taiwans-silent-war/

Dimensions: 11″ x 11″ x 17″

*Old piece. Sell in used, pre-owned condition. Vintage and antique items by nature have variable amounts of wear, imperfections, signs of use, age and time. Perfectly imperfect. Condition shown as in pictures. Kindly contact us if you need more info. or detail pictures.