Boat with the seven wise men. China, 20th century.Coral.Weight: 350 gr. (with base).Measurements: 9.5 x 14 x 5 cm; 13 x 17 x 8 cm (with base).Carving entirely made in coral representing the seven sages of Chinese culture. Formally it highlights the combination of the meticulous work of carving details, as we see in the individualized faces of each of the characters. The seven sages of the bamboo forest were a group of philosophers, poets and musicians of the qingtan (pure conversation) current of Chinese Taoism of the third century. They take their name from the legend that they met in the shade of a bamboo grove away from the court to recite and compose poetry and enjoy music and drink. Although its members existed and it is likely that some of them knew each other, it is disputed whether the group is fictitious as such and whether they actually met as tradition claims. The seven sages, or the symbol they represent, have been very influential in Chinese poetry, music, art and culture in general. Their names are: Xi Kang, Liu Ling, Ruan Ji, Ruan Xian, Xaing Xiu, Wang Rong and Shan Tao. On this occasion the sages have been represented on a boat whose prow takes the form of a dragon of extremely meticulous workmanship.Among the most beautiful products that the sea offers to the vanity of humans is, without a doubt, red coral, which in all times has served as a precious adornment with which many peoples adorned and ornamented themselves. In some Eastern cultures, red coral is not only a highly esteemed adornment, 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 disintegrating 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.