A 40 CARAT OPAL MINIATURE CARVING OF A BEAUTY China, Late Qing Dynasty to Republic period (1880 - 1930s). The approx. 40 carat gemstone of superb iridescent color carved to depict a beauty holding a flower basket. Condition: Very good condition with few microscopic nicks to exposed areas. Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik Istvan Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. Istvan Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe. Weight: 39 g Dimensions: Height 8 cm