A CARVED ZITAN ‘TREE TRUNK’ BRUSHPOT

QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

HEIGHT: 15.4CM

The brushpot is naturalistically fashioned with knots, burls and recesses to simulate a gnarled tree trunk section with a countersunk circle to the base. The wood is polished to a smooth patina and of a dark brown tone.

SIMILAR EXAMPLE

A similar example dated to the first half of the Qing dynasty, is illustrated in Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, 1986, pp. 108-109, Catalogue No. 71.

Edward Westby Vansittart (1818-1904), England

PROVENANCE

Gu Wenbin 顧文彬 (1811-1889) of Guoyunlou Collection 過雲樓 (Passing Clouds Pavilion), Suzhou
Gu Wenbin 顧文彬 (1811-1889) was a renowned collector who had one of the finest private collections in China housed at his “Hall of Passing Clouds” (Guoyunlou 過雲樓) in Suzhou. The collection included numerous rare books, ancient paintings and calligraphy, and a wide range of antiquities; see Gu Wenbin 顧文彬 and Gu Linshi 顧麟士 [Gu’s grandson (1865-1930)], Guoyun lou shuhua ji xuji 過雲樓書 畫記 續集, ed. Gu Rongmu 顧榮木 and Wang Baoji 汪葆楫 (Nanjing: Jiangsu guji chubanshe, 1999), compilations of Gu Wenbin’s Guoyun lou shuhua ji 過雲樓書畫記 and Gu Linshi’s Guoyun lou xu shuhua ji 過雲樓續書畫記.

清十八世紀

紫檀樹樁式筆筒