A FINELY CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER BRUSHPOT QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

of cylindrical form, the exterior superbly carved through layers of ochre, green and red lacquer with a continuous scene of a scholarly gathering in a lush garden, the gentlemen depicted playing chess, unfurling a scroll, inscribing calligraphy on a boulder, drinking tea, painting on a scroll, and two scholars and their attendants crossing a bridge to join the festivities, the garden filled with pine, bamboo, paulownia trees and rocks, the rim carved with a band of keyfret, the interior and base lacquered in black

Acquired in Montecarlo, Monaco, 1976.

The lacquer at the base of the interior is cracked and lifting, and a 10 x 3 cm section on the base has been relacquered and very minor losses of the green lacquer along the edge of the base. However, the overall condition of the carving is very good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Carved lacquer brushpots are rare and it is particularly unusual to find a polychrome example, although a slightly later and larger brushpot similarly carved with scholars in a landscape on a black and ochre background, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 2006, pl. 42. See also a cinnabar lacquer brushpot carved with scholars on a black ground sold at Christie's New York, 17^th September 2008, lot 146; and another with figures on a green ground, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in Carved Lacquer in the Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1985, pl. 341.

The depiction of scholars gathered in a garden was a popular subject matter among artists in the Jiangnan area in the late Sixteenth and early Seventeenth centuries. For example, see a Ming black lacquer tray carved with the design of 'One Hundred Old Men', included in the exhibition Jixiang – Auspicious Motifs in Chinese Art, Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, 1998, cat. no. 186.

Qing dynasty lacquer wares were highly esteemed by the emperor and through the support of the court the medium experienced a surge of production and innovation during the Qianlong period. One of the Qianlong emperor's particularly favoured carvers was a Suzhou artist, Feng Shiqi, who was known for his strong and detailed bamboo carving. It is known that Qianlong had on more than one occasion commissioned him to carve lacquer and this brushpot is reminiscent of his style.