Qing Dynasty Bamboo Carved Arhat Brush Pot With Rosewood Mount & Calligraphy,Qing Dynasty

拍品描述

Measurements:Top diameter 10 cm / 3.94 inches, overall height 14 cm / 5.51 inches, total weight 1464.5 grams, Qing Dynasty, Category: Scholar’s Bamboo Carving Miscellaneous, Primary trading market: New York StateCondition & Provenance:The main body is crafted from aged thick bamboo with distinct vertical natural bamboo grain all over the surface. The whole piece carries a uniform, rich jujube-red natural patina formed by centuries of handling, presenting a smooth, glossy luster without artificial dye or modern wax finishing. The deep-relief carved arhat figure on the front features fully intact details including facial expression, robe folds and palm leaf fan, no chipped carving edges, dents or missing sections. Cursive calligraphy inscriptions and signature carved on the reverse remain crisp and legible with consistent carving depth, no heavy wear blurring the characters. The top rim, bottom edge and three supporting feet are solid rosewood inlay pieces, tightly fitted to the bamboo tube with no separation, cracking or insect rot. The rosewood base only bears minor natural wear from long-term use, no broken feet or heavy impact damage. Fine tiny natural surface lines exist only, no penetrating cracks or restoration work, the original patina remains fully stable. This Qing bamboo brush pot originated from a classical scholar’s collection in Jiangnan region. It was inherited by a literary family in Shanghai in late Qing, exported overseas through Hong Kong antique dealers in the 1980s, then collected by a dedicated scholar’s artifact private collector based in Manhattan, New York State, USA in 2001. Preserved in climate-controlled indoor display for decades, the pot retains its untouched original collector patina, with fully traceable domestic and overseas collection archives.Object Description:This exquisite bamboo brush pot is a premium Qing dynasty scholar’s object, a representative work of Jiangnan bamboo carving craftsmanship. Carved from a single thick section of mature bamboo, it features a neat straight cylindrical shape with rounded reinforced top and bottom rims, paired with a three-foot solid rosewood base for stable desk display. The front side is decorated with a deep-relief carving of a leisurely sleeping arhat, bare-chested with relaxed facial features, flowing robe hems and palm leaf fan rendered with layered carving depth that delivers striking three-dimensionality, fully showcasing master-level relief carving techniques of Qing craftsmen. The reverse wall is incised with a long cursive poem alongside a dated signature, with elegant fluid brushwork reproduced through delicate carving, merging fine calligraphy and bamboo carving into one literati artwork. Bamboo brush pots were essential desk tools for ancient Chinese intellectuals. Well-preserved surviving examples complete with figurative relief, original poetic inscriptions and matching rosewood mountings are quite scarce today. This artifact holds tremendous collecting and academic value covering traditional bamboo craft, classical Chinese calligraphy and ancient literati culture, consistently a top highlight lot in scholar’s object sessions at New York Asian art auctions.

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