Page 106 - September 20 2021 Chinese Works of Art Bonhams NYC

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PROPERTY FROM THE ROBERT AND MEE-DIN MOORE PROPERTY FROM THE ROBERT AND MEE-DIN MOORE
COLLECTION COLLECTION
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A CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER LARGE BRUSH OR WHISK A CINNABAR LACQUER CYLINDRICAL ‘OFFICIAL’ BRUSH AND
Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century COVER
Carved in fairly low relief with a dense leafy floral design of primarily Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century
chrysanthemum from the tail-bone (kaogu), along the length of the Extremely well carved in deep dense relief in a continuous scenes
handle, which has two bulbous areas, to the large cone-shaped ferrule around the stem and cover with a group of birds with out-stretched
(zhouxian) which has a metal band to secure the hair. wings amidst peony sprays, the decoration mirrored on the cover
11 ½in (29.3cm) long, excluding brush hair and each bordered with key-pattern and diaper cell bands, the brush
further carved with a roundel with the character lu (to record) towards
$4,000 - 6,000 one end.
11 1/4in (28.2cm) long overall
明 十六/十七世紀 剔紅花卉紋筆
$1,500 - 2,500
Mounted with rabbit hair as a calligraphy brush in its present state,
this was possibly originally intended as a whisk. Certainly it’s large size 明 十六/十七世紀 剔紅花鳥紋筆
would have made any calligraphic use a weighty proposal.
For another Ming brush dated to the late Ming dynasty with a garden
For an example of the same basic shape and size in the Metropolitan landscape scene carved around the body of the brush and with single
Museum of Art, New York, see metmuseum.org.art/collection/40221, shou character roundel at each end, from the Victor and Nancy Pan
accession no. 2015.500.1.36, a gift of Florence and Herbert Irving. Collection, see Zhang Rong (ed.), The Creation of Natural Immensity
It is dated to the sixteenth century and listed as a whisk. Like ours, it and Grandeur, The Yang Ming Shan Fang Collection of Lacquer from
has naturalistic decoration that in addition to chrysanthemum includes Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Tipei, 2020, pp. 112-115, no.
bamboo, orchids and plum, the flowers of the ‘Four Seasons’. 33.

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