Chinese Table Base with Foo Lion Motif

Carved bracket with tiny figures in a scene and a coiled beast below.

This table base with foo lion motif is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is carved & gilded wood & terra cotta. Many Chinese antiques are now returning to China through auction houses and foreign dealers, as Chinese buyers actively purchase older pieces back, which the article describes as reclaiming their heritage. An old architectural carving with a stepped frame and a small panel of figures in relief. A curling, scaled creature sweeps down below. A black post and slab top turn it into a table, and a dark plinth carries it. Reddish brown. It is 24 inches long, 7.5 deep and 30 high.

A small theater with a dragon under the stage.