Page 34 - 2021 March 15th Fine Chinese Paintings and Works of Art, Bonhams NYC New York

PROPERTY OF AN ENGLISH LADY This extraordinary brushwasher is superbly carved with meticulous
attention to detail not only of the visible areas as one would expect
31 but also to the extremely deeply cut and reticulated brances that
A FINE MOTTLED GREY AND WHITE JADE RUYI-FORM support the vessel. This is a treasure for the hand as well as the
BRUSHWASHER scholar’s table. The subject is rife with longevity symbols and
17th Century blessings adding to its allure. The vessel itself forms a large ruyi-
The superbly-carved and reticulated vessel of lobed ruyi shape with head, the fungus of longevity, and a pair of confronted bats to one
outward-sloping sides, the rim surmounted by two sinuous chilong side form the rebus, shaungfu, ‘may you have double blessings’.
with bi-furcated tails which clamber in a coiled fashion toward each The addition of the most glorious full chrysanthem-heads below two
other on opposite sides of the rim and over-hanging the vessel interior, coiling baby dragons, chilong, at the rim complete this picture. The
the shallow sides delicately carved with a pair of confronted bats and chrysanthemum, the symbol of autumn, is another longevity symbol.
three large fleshy chrysanthemum-heads supported on gnarly leafy During the Han dynasty people drank chrysanthemum wine on the
branches that extend around the sides and under the foot, the stone ninth day of the ninth lunar month in order to prolong their lives,
with attractive areas of black inclusions and mottling. and even today its medicinal properties in tea is well-understood.
4 1/2in (11.8cm) across See Therese Tse Bartholmew, Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, The
Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, 2006, p. 175, no. 7.11., where
$7,000 - 10,000 the author notes that the chrysanthemum is known as the ‘hermit’
among flowers and closely associated with the famous Eastern Jin
poet and recluse Tao Yuanming (372-427), who wrote poetry in its
十七世紀 灰白玉如意形水盂 honor. How perfect then as a subject on a calligraphers brushwasher.

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