Eagle. China, 20th century.Coral carving. Stone mound and wooden base.Measurements: 40 x 22 x 9 cm (without base); 47 x 28 x 11 cm (with base).The eagle is the largest predatory bird and the various species and subspecies that fall under this name can be found anywhere in the world, with the exception of Antarctica. The artist has reproduced a specimen perched on a rocky mound, holding in its powerful claws an organic body in which a small monkey hides, with an intensely naturalistic will. The bird slightly ajar the characteristic pointed beak that allows it to detach the flesh of its prey, and fixes its incisive gaze on a distant point, scanning the distance in search of enemies. Because of its power as a hunter, its size and beauty, the eagle has been the emblem and symbol of various peoples and organizations since the time of the Roman Empire. For the Chinese, the eagle is vigor, strength; when it appears seated on a rock it symbolizes the fighter awaiting a decisive combat.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 have 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 disintegration and cracking, a property that allows it to be worked and carved in a thousand different ways to achieve countless objects of adornment or art.