THE FLOATING CHINESE LADY
BY ZEN
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An exquisite cue in every way ... perfectly executed and intricate silverwork against pure black, Gabon ebony, a gorgeous snakewood handle, meticulous silver ringwork ... what more can you ask for?
Zen has become very well-known in recent years for their intricate inlays and perfectly executed designs. They do exotic and elaborate work with wonderful artistry and elaborate creativity. Their cues sometimes - as with this one - remind me of the work of Richard Black, whom I consider to the finest artist in the cue world.
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This cue depicts the "Chinese Floating Lady": in Buddhism the vision one hopes to see when your spirit makes its way to Nirvana. Delicate silver inlay in the nose is carefully wrapped 360 degrees around the cue. The design is perfectly balanced and aesthetically very special.
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The butt sleeve is similarly inlaid with silver .010 inch thick, this time depicting the ancient Chinese knot symbol. Each knot is highlighted with a simple diamond of Paui shell which beautifully catchs the light and highlights the overall design.
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While most of the inlay work in this cue is done in silver, the clouds in the "Flying Lady" design are done in jeweler's gold ... a nice touch that provides a bit of contrast and variety in the overall design.
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The snakewood handle is one continuous piece - quartered and laminated lengthwise (with nearly invisible seams) and then the fancy silver rings are "clam shelled" in place so that there is essentially a one-piece handle and the snakewood grain is uninterrupted. Each ring is then "pinched" into place and delicately hammered so that no seam is visible on any ring. Extraordinary work!
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The snakewood in this cue is very special - highly figured and beautiful.
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The quality of the silverwork is excellent, rivaling the best work I've seen anywhere.
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Zen built this cue with a 3/8X11 titanium pin (to control weight and for outstanding strength and durability). It is used in a flat-faced joint configuration, resulting in a solid and pleasing hit.
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The rings in this cue are the result of work by both Azen Chen and his wife. Azen uses a CNC lathe to cue the grooves, and then his wife pushes silver wire into those grooves by hand in one continuous piece. When a cue is ordered from Zen, there is a $250 charge for each ring. In this cue, the cost of the eleven rings alone is $2750.
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It comes with two 13mm shafts of top grade, well-aged maple, with melamine ferrules and G2 tips.
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This is a highly collectible, beautiful cue that will be equally at home as a player or sitting in a display case. The exquisite, finely detailed silver in this cue doesn't photograph well, but hopefully can be appreciated in these pictures. A truly special cue and a desirable piece of art! It weighs 19.6 ounces.
PRICE: $10,500 PLUS SHIPPING
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