AN INSCRIBED BAMBOO 'FLYING CRANE' WRISTREST BY GUAN XINING, QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD, DATED TO THE JIHAI YEAR (IN ACCORDANCE WITH 1779)

carved from a segment of culm patinated to a yellowish-brown colour, with an engraved design of a single crane amidst drifting couds, inscribed in running script with a couplet and dated to spring in the jihai year of the Qianlong reign, corresponding to 1779, signed Pingyuan Guan Xining with one seal of the artist, Meiji period Japanese fitted wood box and cover

Fuhakudō Collection, c. 1870s.
Collection of Yamamoto Chikuun (1826-94).
Brian Harkins, London, July 2006.

The wristrest is in overall very good condition with only a couple minute nicks to the reverse edges. The actual colour is warmer in tone and less red than as illustrated in the catalogue.
"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."

Signed Guan Xining and with a cyclical date corresponding to 1779, the inscribed couplet on this wristrest was taken from the poem Ti Cui duangong yuanlin [On the park of Vice Censor-in-chief Li], composed by the Tang poet Li Duan (743-782), which is recorded in Quan Tang shi [Complete verse of the Tang], vol. 9, 285:3248. The couplet can be translated as follows:

Hold your zither in your arms and watch cranes depart
Pillow your head on a rock and await the clouds return.

A native of Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, Guan Xining prepared for the official examinations but abandoned his studies due to chronic ill health. He casually continued to study history and philosophy, as well as inscriptions on metal and stone. He was a keen student of calligraphy and painting, and mastered all styles of calligraphy. His written works include Jinniu shanren yinpu [Seal impressions album by the Recluse of Bronze Ox Mountain], and Jiuniou zhai shiji [Poetry collection from the Timidity Will Do Studio].

This wristrest is also notable for its detailed provenance. According to the inscriptions on its box, it was once housed at the Fubaku dō, one of the most famous tea ceremony rooms within the Fuhakuryū tea school, which was established in 1791 in Edo, modern day Tokyo. A paper label on the box suggests that it was used as a tea measure or tea scoop. A further inscription, dated corresponding to March 1879, indicates that it was later acquired by Yamamoto Chikuun (1826-1894), the classical Chinese scholar and eminent seal carver and tea master, whose judgement of tea ceremony utensils was considered authoritative.