AN INSCRIBED YIXING 'TREE-TRUNK'-FORM BRUSHPOT, SIGNED YANG MENGCHEN EARLY 20TH CENTURY

naturalistically modeled with an uneven surface imitating tree bark, accentuated with knots and recesses, carved to one side with an inscription reading Pin Jiu renxiong yawan di Mengchen zeng (for my dear friend Pin Jiu's enjoyment, gifted by Mengchen), accompanied by two seals, the base with a sixteen-character mark and two further seals

The brushpot is in overall good condition. The mouth rim and base edge with small nicks and flake chips.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Compare a closely related Yixing brushpot by Yang Mengchen (c. 1914-1928) in the Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands, inscribed with two characters reading yawan (elegant enjoyment) and accompanied by five seal impressions, illustrated in Wu Ruoming, 'A Yixing Brushpot: An Example of Relations between China and the US in the early 20th Century', Orientations, June 2016, fig. 1; where the author makes a detailed analysis of the brushpot based on the inscriptions and seals.