A FINELY CARVED BAMBOO-ROOT 'PINE' BRUSHWASHER QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

exquisitely carved as a hollowed-out trunk section of an aged and burled pine tree, the exterior deftly carved in openwork with gnarled and burled branches bearing clusters of pine blossoms, the bamboo patinated to a warm caramel-brown colour

There is a minute age crack to the interior at the 10 o clock position in the catalogue photo. Other minor surface wear. Please note that the brush washer is slightly smaller than the photo size in the catalogue, and that the colour is a more organic brown, with less of a red tinge.
"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."

Another bamboo brushwasher of this form and size in the Shanghai Museum is illustrated in The Chinese Scholar's Studio. Artistic Life in the Late Ming Period, New York, 1987 cat. no. 56, where the authors argue that its irregular form and relatively thick walls indicate it was carved from the root-stem of the bamboo, not the stalk. See also an example illustrated by Ip Yee and Laurence C. S. Tam, Chinese Bamboo Carving, Part I, Hong Kong, 1978, pl. 62, where it is noted that brushwashers of this type were not just created as utilitarian vessels for holding water, but designed as decoration for the scholar's table. For another bamboo brushwasher of this form, see the larger example included in this sale, lot 3032.