Winged Totem Sculpture Appraisal

Carved Soapstone or Low-Grade Jade Winged Totem Sculpture

This item is a hand-carved decorative sculpture featuring a winged avian or mythological figure emerging from a rectangular frame. The piece is crafted from a variegated stone, likely soapstone or a low-grade nephrite jade, characterized by a deep brownish-red base color with mottle green and grey inclusions throughout. The construction features a central vertical body that extends into two wide, scalloped wings with undulating edges. A large rectangular base or frame is joined to the bottom, decorated with shallowly incised scrolling or cloud-like patterns. The surface exhibits a matte to semi-gloss finish with significant visible wear, including a heavy white calcification or dust-like patina in the recessed areas of the wings, which suggests an attempt at creating an archaic appearance. Small chips and surface abrasions are visible along the sharpest edges of the wings and the rectangular base. The craftsmanship appears to be a modern interpretation of archaic Chinese jades (such as Hongshan or Liangzhu styles), though the lack of authentic surface mineralization and the specific incised patterns suggest it is a 20th-century decorative piece rather than an antiquity. There are no visible maker's marks or signatures.