Set of figures; China, 20th century.

Set of figures; China, 20th century.
Coral and wooden base.
Measurements.
Measurements: 19 x 15,5 x 9,5 cm.
In some Eastern cultures, red coral is not only a highly esteemed ornament, but also a sign of dignity or command: the mandarins of China wore it as an attribute of their authority. The Turks were also very fond of coral ornaments, which they wore not only on their person, but also in the decoration and ornamentation of their homes. The Greeks designated coral by the name of korallion, which means "ornament of the sea", this word passed into Latin as corallium, from which the word coral was derived. The color of the limestone shaft offers a great variety of shades ranging from red to pink and some of these colorations have a delicate and soft pink hue, the most sought after by divers. The limestone shaft is so compact and homogeneous that it can be subjected to the most perfect polishing without disintegration and cracking, a property that allows it to be worked and carved in a thousand different ways to achieve an infinite number of decorative or artistic objects.