A SMALL BAMBOO 'OX-HERD' BRUSHPOT QING DYNASTY, 17TH / 18TH CENTURY

of cylindrical form set on three plain feet, finely carved from a single node of bamboo with a continuous scene of an ox-herd riding his water buffalo and playing a flute while a calf walks before them, all set in a lush mountainous landscape with a gnarled pine tree growing from a cliff-face above a small torrent, surrounded by craggy rockwork, clumps of bamboo and other foliage, the bamboo patinated to a reddish-brown colour

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th April 2007, lot 885.

The overall condition is very good condition with the exception of a small insect hole with an associated age crack below the foot.
"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."

This brushpot is unusual for its small size suggesting that it may have been made to hold small rolls of paper, poetry slips or as a curio object for the scholar's desk. The fine deep carving of a herd-boy riding a water buffalo is a theme that was much appreciated by the literati. It was a popular subject from the Song dynasty (960-1279) and was symbolic of childhood play and bucolic freedom. The poets Su Shi and Huang Tingjian and their painter friend Li Gonglin are among those first associated with the genre, and from the 11th century buffalo herd-boys exemplified for many scholars and officials the simple life far away from ceremony, ritual and social obligations. See a hanging scroll painted by Li Tang (c. 1050-after 1130), Herd Boy and Water Buffalo and Calf (11th century or 12th century), in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, published in Ann Elizabeth Barrott Wicks (ed.), Children in Chinese Art, Honolulu, 2002, p. 54, fig. 2.6.