Lot 3665
- 3665
A RARE CARVED BAMBOO 'EROTIC SUBJECT' BRUSHPOT QING DYNASTY, EARLY 18TH CENTURY |
Estimate
150,000 - 250,000 HKD
bidding is closed
Description
- bamboo
- 16.4 cm, 6 3/8 in.
of flattened cylindrical form, raised on three short feet, deftly carved and undercut on the exterior in various levels of relief with a large circular cartouche enclosing a figural scene, depicting two attendants, one holding a lantern and the other a cup on a tray, clandestinely walking towards a pavilion with a semi-clothed lady sleeping on a couch bed, whimsically detailed with one of her shoes laid atop a footstool and a recumbent cat on the steps, all set in a fenced garden landscape with pierced rockwork, leafy plantain and gnarled pine, the bamboo patinated to a golden chestnut-brown tone
Provenance
Nicholas Grindley, London.
Condition
As visible in the catalogue photo, there are typical vertical age cracks. On the reverse undecorafed side, there is a natural age crack that has been restored with other associate traces of restoration visible on the interior. The rare figural scene is well preserved.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
It is extremely rare to find a bamboo brushpot so finely carved with an erotic subject skilfully alluded to in the subtle iconography. The precise carving style, in which the interior is skilfully picked out in varying levels of relief, is however closely related to a late Ming brushpot by Shen Dasheng in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Literati Spirit. Art of Chinese Bamboo Carving, Shanghai, 2012, cat. no. 9. The Shanghai example, in which the pictorial decoration is framed within oval panels, is carved with two ladies in a garden.