CARVED WOOD HELM. 18-19TH CENTURIES

Eastern ship rudder, late 18th - early 19th century. Carved wood and brass. Eastern ship rudder of English influence, made of brass and high-quality carved wood. The top of the rudder is worked in a round shape, taking the shape of the head of a greyhound with stylized features. The greyhound is a typical motif of the English decorative arts of the time, but its essential, elongated treatment with sinuous lines reminds us that we are looking at a piece of oriental workmanship. In fact, the central area of the rudder appears completely carved with the figure of a dragon coiled around the mast. This mythical animal represents the power of change of nature, the Tao, in addition to the concept of yang (masculine), and is related to time as the propitiator of rain and water. Likewise, it is often used as a national symbol of China, and in fact appeared on the national flag until the end of the Qing dynasty. Here it is represented with great attention to detail, evidencing a virtuosity typical of oriental ornamental sculpture: we see each of the dragon's scales, and even the ripples of the water under its body, the leaves among which it swims... The lower third of the rudder appears almost completely de-ornamented, showing a smooth, slightly curved profile. At its end it is decorated with a simple recessed carving, with a geometric motif on two planes.

· Size: 10x10x160 cms.