Lot 1413
Published Piece: Pink and Green Tourmaline Carving, Ex. Herb and Monika Obodda Collection
26 – 27 October 2020, 11:00 PDT
Los AngelesSold for US$25,075 inc. premium
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Published Piece: Pink and Green Tourmaline Carving, Ex. Herb and Monika Obodda Collection
Carved by Hing Wa Lee, San Gabriel, California, USA
Circa 1972
Laghman, Afghanistan
This is a sizable sculpture, carved by the famous lapidary artist, Hing Wa Lee, based in San Gabriel, California, founder of the well-known southern California jewelry dynasty. This fine carving makes use of the inherent qualities of the original bi-color tourmaline crystal, with blue at the top. Carved from a single specimen of Afghani tourmaline depicting a Guanyin, a Boddhisatvha, or deity, seated on a lotus flower, accompanied a child and a Foo lion, while holding a ruyi scepter. A sinuous dragon decorates the reverse side, and a lotus leaf carved from the green portion of the bi-color tourmaline can be seen on the reverse side. Weighing approximately 6,236.0 carats (1247.1 grams) and measuring 5 x 5 1/2 x 3 in. Height with wooden stand: 8 in
Circa 1972
Laghman, Afghanistan
This is a sizable sculpture, carved by the famous lapidary artist, Hing Wa Lee, based in San Gabriel, California, founder of the well-known southern California jewelry dynasty. This fine carving makes use of the inherent qualities of the original bi-color tourmaline crystal, with blue at the top. Carved from a single specimen of Afghani tourmaline depicting a Guanyin, a Boddhisatvha, or deity, seated on a lotus flower, accompanied a child and a Foo lion, while holding a ruyi scepter. A sinuous dragon decorates the reverse side, and a lotus leaf carved from the green portion of the bi-color tourmaline can be seen on the reverse side. Weighing approximately 6,236.0 carats (1247.1 grams) and measuring 5 x 5 1/2 x 3 in. Height with wooden stand: 8 in
Footnotes
Provenance: Ex. Herb and Monika Obodda Collection.
Accompanied by a copy of Lapidary Journal Magazine, March 1983, where the bi-color tourmaline was featured in an article about the gemstone carvings of Hing Wa Lee. Herb Obodda obtained the rough in Afghanistan and commissioned Hing Wa Lee to execute this carving.
Hing Wa Lee
In 1965, at the age of 18, Hing Wa Lee graduated to become a Master Gem Carver. He started his own factory exporting gemstone carvings worldwide to great acclaim. His first factory was named Hing Wa Lee San Wu Jade Workshop, located in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Even at that time he was considered to be a great, modern day master of gemstone carving. Moving to the United States in the 1970s, he was enlisted to work on restoring jade carvings at the Smithsonian Institute. This helped to establish his reputation in the United States. In 1980, He opened a gallery in Los Angeles, California, selling to the growing Chinese-American market in southern California.
