Page 120 - Chinese Art Auction April 25, 2020 2020 Galerie Zacke

134
A ‘seVeN sAges OF The bAMbOO gROVe’
cARVed bAMbOO bRushPOT, QINg

China, dated Jiachen year (most likely 1784), signed Jingfeng Shanren.
Elliptic form, carved with two scenes, each depicting the Seven
Scholars of the Bamboo Grove engage in various pursuits, such as
playing the zither or drinking tea. Note the breathtakingly reticulated,
dense bamboo groves around the upper body!

Provenance: From an English private estate.
condition: Good condition with age cracks, few minor losses. Superb
patina.

Weight: 923.6 g
Dimensions: Height 18.6 cm
This brush pot is carved with the favored Seven Sages of the Bamboo
Grove motif, a group of scholars of the Wei dynasty (220-265) who had
renounced their official status and career in protest against corruption.
They advocated freedom of individual beliefs which were inspired by Daoist
philosophy. The seven sages, pictured gathered amidst a bamboo grove
drinking, composing poetry and enjoying each other’s company, came to
represent scholars disenchanted with official policies and are symbols of
an incorruptible scholar. The popularity of the subject throughout Chinese
history is reflected in its reproduction on a variety of media, such as
porcelain, jade and paintings.

AucTION ResulT
cOMPARIsON
Compare with a related brush pot, slightly
smaller and dated to the Kangxi era, sold by
Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Chinese Art on 1-2 June
2015, lot 628, for HKD $250,000.

竹雕《竹林七賢》筆筒，清代
中國，甲辰年(很可能為1784)，詩詞落款鏡峰山人。竹雕竹林七賢圖，文人飲茶彈
琴。筆筒上雕刻密集竹林，結合竹子本身紋理。
來源：英國私人遺產
品相：品相良好，年代裂紋，輕微缺損。包漿極好。
重量：923.6 克
尺寸：高18.6 厘米
拍賣結果比較：一件相似筆筒，小一些，康熙年代，售于香港蘇富比《中國藝術》
，2015年6月1-2日，拍號628，成交價HKD $250,000。
estimate euR 1.000,-
Starting price EUr 500,-

115