Recently,under 'Antique Jade Animals',posted an Antique Jade(Nephrite) of a Monkey on Horse and mentioned about this piece, whereby the Rebus' MA SHANG FENG HOU' is accurately depicted. Just to briefly recap:
Carving Meaning:MA(Horse) SHANG(On Top) FENG (Wind) HOU (Monkey)
Rebus Meaning: MASHANG(Instant) FENG (Promoted) HOU (Marquis)
The modern auspicious meaning is a 'Meteoric rise up the Corporate Ladder' and here the FENG (Wind) is indirectly indicated by the leaning of the monkey and the left hand,holding onto the horse's tail for support, to prevent the wind from blowing it off the horse.
This is an antique Tourmaline Carving from the Qing Dynasty,China and is a favourite of my wife,worned with a short multi coloured tourmaline necklace.
1st.Dec'07:Just added in the images of Jade(Nephrite) of Monkey on horse for cross-reference.
Note: A quirk interpretation of MASHANG FENG HOU could be those BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON i.e. INSTANT EASY STREET!!!
Antique and Antique Collecting
Antiques have always lured those with a passion for the past and its cultural significance. Antique collecting though is a serious hobby which requires the hobbyist to posses a great deal of information on the history and other correlating facts if they are to land a reasonable purchase. Most often if not antiques make their way into the mainstream market via simple garage sales, auction houses etc. wherein the owner would have overlooked the significance of these precious collectables.
A reflection and testimony of the glorious past, Antiques are undoubtedly rare. Perhaps that is why Antiques have been collected and preserved for over thousands of years as a souvenir and tribute to what has been and gone. After all, those heard are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter!
Antique collecting has been in the books since the 16th century, gaining momentum through the 18th century to grow into what is now a healthy international business thats on par with the art industry. Some individuals prefer to collect antiques from a specific era, while most are into specific objects and aim at a timeline based collection such as vintage cars or clocks from the 1950s for example. The purchase of antiques is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the effort that goes into their maintenance. Most objects would be anywhere in the range of 50 to 100 years old. The biggest culprit to an antiques degradation is exposure to natural elements, even the air in most cases!
Over the years, antique collecting has taken another curious twist as certain home décor trends these days reflect on a retro feel. For this reason a lot of long lost furniture and clothing styles from half a century ago have found their way back into the current world with small changes that help them amalgamate into the 21st century. This trend of commercially viable antiques has had a negative impact on the market as replicas of famous antiques have been making the rounds and authenticity issues are far too common. Examples for the same would be pendulum clocks, bone china and the 1970 – 1979 contemporary modern furniture.
When it comes to venturing towards a purchase, its best for an individual to take assistance from the nearest antique dealer organization as it would guarantee both its authenticity as well as cover any legalities. Most often the replica market supplies the same antiques at a much lower price and the buyer could suffer serious repercussions on purchasing from such sources as these pieces are not officially accounted for. Antique collecting needs to be met with diligence and maturity in order to successfully sustain the past in the present.
