Chinese soapstone vase is above average in quality

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Dear Helaine and Joe:I am enclosing a photograph of what appears to be an elaborate vase carved from some kind of stone or gem. It is 10 inches tall and 6 inches wide at the base. The carvings are of flowers that look like chrysanthemums and a couple of birds that may be peacocks. The vase is a sort of orange color and there are also paintings of leaves in black and white. I believe it came from China some 80 years ago. I would appreciate if you could tell me more about this piece and its value.Thank you,C. T. P., Syracuse, N.Y.Dear C. T. P.:This piece falls into a category that collectors usually label "hardstone carving" but to our minds this is a rather curious designation because this stone is not very hard at all.Over the centuries, the Chinese have carved a variety of different types of stone, with some of the most prized examples being crafted from the various forms of jade. But the Chinese also used agate, aventurine (a type of quartz), bowenite carnelian, lapis lazuli, malachite, quartz, serpentine, and soapstone.Several of these stones are sometimes referred to as "Soo Chow Jade" because of their kind-of-sort-of resemblance to the precious gem stone. These are bowenite, a pale yellowish green and white stone; serpentine, that is most often found in shades of white, green or brown; and soapstone.This latter stone is very soft and gets its name because its surface feels a little like soap. Soapstone is basically made up of talc with a little chlorite and sometime magnetite thrown in. It was widely used by the Chinese for ornamental carvings, and much of it was created for the tourist trade in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.Soapstone can be found carved into figures (human, animal, and mythological), table screens, lamp bases, seals, boxes, brush pots, covered vessels or jars, plaques, disks, cups, bookends, and in mountain forms.But the most commonly seen forms are vases similar to the one in today's question.The size of these vases and the quality/intricacy of the carving can vary greatly. Soapstone vases range in size from just an inch or so tall to monumental pieces that are 10 to 16 inches tall. Aything larger would be considered rather unusual. Compared to harder stones, soapstone is relatively easy to carve, and many of the pieces found on the current market are not very well executed and are rather simplistic in their design.The piece belonging to C. T. P. is a good size and the work is somewhat above average. The enameled black leaves with white veins that are scattered about the body are very attractive, and is the sort of work that is rarely seen and then only on better or larger pieces.C. T. P. did not tell us whether an artist signed this piece, which would be a significant plus. However, most soapstone pieces are not signed, and for today's purposes, we must assume that this particular example is not artist signed.Most soapstone vases have an insurance replacement value of less than $150. Since this piece is a better example, it should be valued in the $250 to $325 range.(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of the "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 27540, Knoxville, TN, 37927)