A BAMBOO CARVING OF THE HEHE ERXIAN, 18TH CENTURY China. Finely carved as the twin immortals, one standing behind his brother with one hand on his shoulder and the other hand holding a broom, the other immortal holding an open scroll with both hands and with a double-gourd attached to his waist. Both wearing long flowing robes, with neatly incised hair and finely detailed features, showing content expressions.

Provenance: From a private estate in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Condition: Very good condition with old wear, few minor nicks and minuscule losses, natural age cracks. Fine, dark patina and unctuous feel overall.

Weight: 243.7 g
Dimensions: Height 13.4 cm

The hehe erxian, or the Two Immortals of Harmony and Unity, were believed to preside over happy marriages, and are adaptations of two famous poet-monks of the Tang dynasty, Hanshan and Shide.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related bamboo-root carving of the Hehe Erxian, also dated to the 18^th century but of slightly larger size (18 cm high), at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in The Robert H. Blumenfield Collection Of Chinese Bamboo Carvings on 6 April 2015, bought-in at an estimate of HKD 250,000-350,000.

十八世紀竹雕和合二仙
中國。此和合二仙立像，隨形巧妙構思，二仙前後緊緊依偎，前像手持詩卷，後像一手搭在前像右肩，一手持掃帚。二仙樂態十足，自然和諧，動靜相融。刀法嫻熟，包漿潤澤。

來源：美國鳳凰城私人財產。
品相：品相良好，舊時磨損，有些微輕微劃痕和缺損，自然的年代裂縫。 整體呈現細膩、深色的油潤包漿。

重量：243.7 克
尺寸：高13.4 厘米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近竹根雕和合二仙，十八世紀，尺寸稍大 (高18 厘米)，見香港蘇富比 The Robert H. Blumenfield Collection Of Chinese Bamboo Carvings 2015年4月6日，估價 HKD 250,000-350,000。