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A RARE INSCRIBED ‘ZITAN’ BRUSHPOT jinshi title in the 4th year of Qianlong (1739). He served as the
Secretary of Ministry of Works. The biographies of Ying Liang
SIGNED YING LIAN AND CHENG JINGYI,
and Cheng Jingyi are recorded in Qingshigao [Draft History of
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY, DATED Qing], juan 320.
BINGSHEN YEAR, CORRESPONDING TO 1776
The inscriptions on the present brushpot suggest that the
of circular section, the exterior skillfully carved in running poems were written for a person named Xietang, who can
script with three poems and an inscription reading bingshen be identi$ ed as Zhou Yuanli (1706-1782). Zhou Yuanli, zi
xiawu zhonghuan muyin shaoliang ti ying Xietang laoyou Bingzhong, a native of Renhe (Hangzhou), Zhejiang province,
xiansheng mingji zheng Zhujing laoren Ying Lian baishu was an o% cial of the Qing dynasty and contemporary of Ying
(respectfully written by Zhujing laoren Ying Lian at the request and Cheng, known to have a hao as Xietang. More importantly
of an old friend the venerable Xietang on a cool midsummer the Qingshigao records that in the 40th year of Qianlong
evening in the middle of the $ fth month of the bingshen year), (yiwei year), (Zhou) Yuanli was seventy years old, a date that
accompanied by two seals Lian and Zhujing laoren (old man of coincides with the inscription on the present brushpot by
the bamboo well), followed by two more poems and another Ying Lian, which can be translated as ‘last year (yiwei year,
inscription reading bingshen xinqiuri ti ying Xietang laodaren corresponding to 1775) you turned seventy years old, and this
ming bingzheng Xuetang Cheng Jingyi (written by Xuetang year (bingshen, corresponding to 1776) I will turn the same
Cheng Jingyi at the request of the venerable Xietang in the age’. For a complete biography of Zhou Yuanli, see Qingshigao,
early Autumn of the bingshen year), accompanied by two seals juan 324.
Cheng Jingyi yin (seal of Cheng Jingyi) and Pinsan, the densely
grained wood patinated to a dark brown tone $ 20,000-30,000
Height 6⅜ in., 16.1 cm
૶ɤɞ˰ߏ ഓᏥՍ་˖അഇ
The present brushpot is signed by Ying Lian (1707-1783) and
ᕚᗆj
Cheng Jingyi (1712-1780), both of whom were high o% cials of
the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Ying Lian, zi Jiliu, hao Mengtang, ˯͡ࢀʞʕᳶᅱ௕ˇ૭ᕚ Ꮠᐅੀϼʾ΋͛ն у͍
native of Liaodong (today’s Liaoyang), Liaoning province, ϶ʜϼɛߵกࣣܰ
passed the imperial examination and became a juren in the ˯͡อ߇˚ᕚ Ꮠᐅੀϼɽɛն Ԩ͍ ථ෨೻౻ͺ
10th year of Yongzheng (1733). During his political life, he
was appointed to several important positions, including the Ι˖j
Secretary of Ministry of Justice and Viceroy of Zhili. Cheng ก ϶ʜϼɛ
Jingyi, zi Pinsan, a native of Wujin (Changzhou), Jiangsu
province, passed the imperial examination and received the

IMPORTANT CHINESE ART 177