The emperor's statue

bone, carved, engraved; height 28.5 cm; base 6 x 5.3 cm.
China, late 19th c. - early 20th century. (late Qing dynasty period).
Figure of a dignitary with a long, triangular beard and a long braid on his back, wearing a traditional headdress and ornamental robes with a scaly pattern, tied with a cord with two tangs. The right hand supports a necklace, while the left rests on the hilt of a sword.
On an oval base engraved in a square cartouche signature in Chinese characters.