Gilt wooden Immortal with a friendly expression on his face who holds a wrapped object in his hands. It took some time to find out what the object was but we finally found out that it is a wrapped official seal which symbolizes obtaining a high position. In China every official possessed a seal which was proof of his importance. The Immortal is surrounded by cloud trails. Clouds (yun) are used as a pun for ‘Fortune’ (yun) and also reveal the immortal’s ethereal nature. The carving of this small figure is exceptional and there is little doubt that it once graced a very expensive piece of furniture. It dates from the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912) and was acquired in Hong Kong. Height 11.7 cm. Width 4.3 cm.