Lot 1414
Published Piece: Spectacular Morganite 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: Spectacular Morganite Carving, Ex. Herb and Monika Obodda Collection
Carved By Hing Wa Lee, San Gabriel, California, USA
Circa 1974
Nuristan, Afghanistan
This exceptional, rich pink morganite carving depicts four lions at play, surmounting a central sphere which displays excellent transparency. The color of this specimen is an exceptionally well-saturated pink hue. This is believed to be the largest Chinese carving made of pink morganite in existence. Weighing approximately 10,842.5 carats (2,168.5 grams) and measuring 8 ¼ x 4 ½ x 3 in. Height with wooden stand: 9 in
Circa 1974
Nuristan, Afghanistan
This exceptional, rich pink morganite carving depicts four lions at play, surmounting a central sphere which displays excellent transparency. The color of this specimen is an exceptionally well-saturated pink hue. This is believed to be the largest Chinese carving made of pink morganite in existence. Weighing approximately 10,842.5 carats (2,168.5 grams) and measuring 8 ¼ x 4 ½ x 3 in. Height with wooden stand: 9 in
Footnotes
Provenance: Ex. Herb and Monika Obodda Collection.
Accompanied by a copy of Lapidary Journal Magazine, March 1983, where the morganite carving was featured in an article about the gemstone carvings of Hing Wa Lee. Herb Obodda obtained the rough used in this commissioned work in Afghanistan.
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.
