Is this small gilt lacquer carving supposed to depict an opera performer? It seems as if he is wearing a mask. Female roles were always played by men in the old days. We have no idea what this figure is supposed to represent. He or she is holding a fruit which look like a melon. A melon has numerous seeds symbolizing a large number of male descendants. Whatever its appearance, the carving definitely once formed part of a piece of furniture or a bed as shown by the crude back side. It dates from the late Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912) and entered our collection from Singapore in 1984. Height 10.5 cm.