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Lot Essay
Inscriptions on the cover of the box and the interior of the cover state that the seal finial was carved by Shangjun 'from cold tianhuang stone'; that Kutie refers to Wu Changshou; and that Kugong refers to Tao Zhai.
Shangjun is the style name of Zhou Bin, a native of Fujian province, who was believed to have worked during the Kangxi period, and was known for his fine carving, especially of seal finials.
Kutie is the nickname of Wu Changshou, and Kugong is the nickname of the collector Tao Duanfang, also known as Tao Zhai.
Wu Changshuo (1844-1927), sometimes called Wu Changshi, was a central figure in Chinese painting during the early years of the 20th century. He was known for his calligraphic work and seals, which were famous for their elegance. His style of carving was known as the "Wu style". In 1904, he became the first director of the Xiling Seal Carving Society, an organization in Hangzhou dedicated to studying seal carving.
Tao Duanfang (1861-1911) was a late Qing dynasty government official who amassed an extraordinary collection of Chinese art. Known as the Taozhai Collection, it included Neolithic jades, Shang and Zhou dynasty bronzes, landscape paintings and Buddhist sculpture. In 1909, he published Taozhai jijin xulu, the first catalogue to use the photolithographic process to print rubbings of bronzes.
Shangjun is the style name of Zhou Bin, a native of Fujian province, who was believed to have worked during the Kangxi period, and was known for his fine carving, especially of seal finials.
Kutie is the nickname of Wu Changshou, and Kugong is the nickname of the collector Tao Duanfang, also known as Tao Zhai.
Wu Changshuo (1844-1927), sometimes called Wu Changshi, was a central figure in Chinese painting during the early years of the 20th century. He was known for his calligraphic work and seals, which were famous for their elegance. His style of carving was known as the "Wu style". In 1904, he became the first director of the Xiling Seal Carving Society, an organization in Hangzhou dedicated to studying seal carving.
Tao Duanfang (1861-1911) was a late Qing dynasty government official who amassed an extraordinary collection of Chinese art. Known as the Taozhai Collection, it included Neolithic jades, Shang and Zhou dynasty bronzes, landscape paintings and Buddhist sculpture. In 1909, he published Taozhai jijin xulu, the first catalogue to use the photolithographic process to print rubbings of bronzes.