Bamboo Root Figural Wine Cups Qing Dynasty, 17th/18th century, in the form of a finely matched pair of Buddhist lions with a [bixie] at their shoulder and depicted holding a brocade ball, each flattened at the top of the head for use as a base of the wine cup, each with fine early patinated surface, the wine bowls with traces of lacquer and sediment, one with inscription at base of bowl, 2-1/2 in. excellent condition overall, one some minor chips at edges of bowl, one with old loss to rear foot and small chip at ear. Notes: A closely related example is illustrated in Eyee and Tam, [Chinese Bamboo Carving,] Part 1, Hong Kong, 1978, pl. 104. excellent condition overall, one some minor chips at edges of bowl, one with old loss to rear foot and small chip at ear