Page 29 - March 17, 2020 Imperial Jade and Cloisonne, Sotheby's, New York

CAPTURING AN ETHEREAL WORLD

A WHITE JADE BRUSHPOT FROM

THE WOODWARD COLLECTION

汲韻清靈：Woodward 珍藏白玉筆筒

Skillfully carved with a scene that unravels like a scroll 本品筆筒雕琢精細，佈局巧妙，徐徐轉
painting with the turning of the vessel, this magnificent 動，宛如觀覽連綿山水畫卷，清雅悠然。
brush pot captures a sense of harmony and ethereality 其紋飾刻劃疏密相間，圖景和諧靈動，巧
by balancing the object with the void, intricate detail with 作留白，可見玉匠高超手法。玉料之精純
polished surfaces. The exceptional quality of the stone is 更於留白處盡顯，映襯玉皮，頗添雅趣。
highlighted through the minimally carved areas, enhanced 光下細品，浮雕深淺交錯，光影明暗間營
with patches of russet staining. As light passes through 造出神秘的戲劇張力，引人入勝。觀其雕
the varying depths of the translucent material, it creates 刻手法，依循中國書畫傳統，轉動筆筒即
dramatic and mysterious contrasts within the diorama. 如展閱手卷，每個場景以不同視角連續呈
The decoration follows in the tradition of Chinese painting, 現，可於多角度欣賞品玩。
treating the surface of the material as a horizontal scroll. The
案頭文房品的歷史可遠溯至漢代，而玉製
motif unfolds in front of the viewer as the brushpot is turned
者則直至明代中晚期方才發展成熟。至清
and with each scene a new perspective of the landscape
代，此一品類豐富異常，可見玉製筆筒、
is revealed, making the brushpot an object that can be
筆擱、臂擱、筆、洗、水滴、鎮紙以及案
appreciated from multiple vantage points.
頭擺件等。大多具有實用功能，但亦不乏
Objects created specifically for use on the scholar’s desks
作單純陳設之趣者，供文人雅士迎賓或
can be traced to at least as early as the Han dynasty,
自賞。
although the full repertoire of jade scholars’ objects was
developed during the mid- to late Ming dynasty, and by the
Qing dynasty had come to include brushpots, brush rests,
wrist rests, brushes, brush washers, water droppers, scroll
and paperweights, as well as larger objects for display on
the desk. Many of these pieces would have been kept in
the scholar’s studio for use when composing calligraphy or
painting; others served no particular purpose except for the
personal enjoyment of the owner, as well as his select invited
audience.

54 PROPERTY FROM THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM, SOLD TO SUPPORT MUSEUM COLLECTIONS