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Not really sure what this item is but I beleive it is Chinese and appears to have a fair bit of age to it. It appears to be a seed pod of some description with floral carvings on the two outside halves and small carvings on the inside. One side features a Tiger above a pagoda with numerous figures dressed in robes. The other side has a pagoda with a dragon being ridden by a man(Buddha) above the pagoda, it also has numerous other figures(Buddhas). I am not sure if it is carved or moulded. Not even sure what it is made from. It is very detailed with the faces of all the figures all being different.
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Collector Discussion
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Re: Seed Pod
I am not sure that what you have is Chinese. The symbols look more Japanese to me. The dragon especially. It could be Tibetan too.
I dont think it is a seed pod. I think it is a carving made to represent a seed. Look at the top, there is a plant with a seed dangling from a vine. The item is carved to look like that pod. Is it heavy in your hand?
The carvings will all be very symbolic. Probably not all Buddha's. On the half with the tiger, there is a man kneeling, facing in to the picture toward a building. In the other half, we are closer to the building and the kneeling man is gone, but now the tiger is a dragon with a man aboard. There is a story there, but understanding the symbology is beyond me. Try your local University for Asian studies, or an antique gallery that specializes in Asiana. I am sure they could tell you about it without an appraisal. Once you know what it is, you will be able to find the rest yourself.