Chinese Carved Squirrel Fruit on Base

Hi,
I'm trying to figure out what this is carved from - some kind of stone? It is very cold, silky smooth - not sure if that helps. Has a Made In China paper label on the base. This is 5 1/4" in height.
any information appreciated.
thanks for looking

 

It looks like soapstone.

 

Thank-you Hollyblue I had wondered that because of how smooth it is - will be easier to research if I know what it is!

 

These are usually made from Qingtian stone, though the colors are a bit different in yours. These are sometimes dyed, so it can be hard to go by color alone.

 

I have seen orange alabaster carvings before - kinda looks colorwise like yours
(random pic from the internet)

 

thanks khl889! Using the word Qingtian I found a post from 2014 where you helped Mat with his piece. I've attached a link to the thread because there is some great information by khl889.

'Note that a heavy coat of wax, not oil, is often used to finish Qingtian stone, while Shoushan stone may be very lightly waxed, then slightly oiled. The rarest and best Shoushan stone doesn't need much treatment beyond polishing. The wax on Qingtian stone will break down and the piece will develop something of a dusty look over a few decades.' This describes what I thought was dust but is from the wax breaking down


https://www.antiquers.com/threads/chinese-soapstone-carving-age.2418/

 

You can try to re-wax the piece.

First, clean it well of all debris. Then, get the finest beeswax you can find. And an industrial-grade hair dryer. Heat the stone with the hair dryer, then apply wax, doing small areas at a time, and using a chopstick covered with a light cloth to reach the nooks and crannies. Then, after it's cooled, buff with a cloth till the stone shines.

Of course skill and experience are needed to do this right, so experiment the first couple of times on pieces you can afford to ruin. Remember, you don't need to over-wax to make it look good.

Bear in mind, too, this is only for Qingtian stone.

 

I believe that's the fox and sour grapes ....again.

 

Hi Komo,
NOT sour grapes. In the fable the fox could not jump high enough to even taste one grape so he slinks off saying that were probably sour anyway.
greg

 

Yes Greg......so artistic licence ....
I've never seen a squirrel in a vineyard.....or grapes so low a squirrel can get them by crouching......

but i've been know to be wrong.....

 

squirrel!

That's interesting to know about the wax degrading. I'd leave it alone, though (unless you're keeping it)

 

Thanks folks.
Thanks khl889 for the tips on cleaning I won't attempt it though as I'd probably make a mess of it.
I thought it was the fox and grapes again too komokwa but pretty sure it is a squirrel.

 

squirrel!

 

lol, I agree scoutshouse

 

Then you can go all Martha Stewart on it - assuming you paid $3 for it