A RARE ENGRAVED MOLDED GOURD CYLINDRICAL BRUSHPOT

Details

A RARE ENGRAVED MOLDED GOURD CYLINDRICAL BRUSHPOT
FOUR-CHARACTER MOLDED HALLMARK, XING YOU HEN TANG, DAOGUANG
The sides molded into six vertical panels and decorated with a finely detailed horse shown rolling on its back with its back legs kicking and mane and tail flying, with an inscription embossed on the reverse which includes a studio name, Ti An, the name of the engraver of the horse, Yaoqing and the hallmark, Xing you heng tang, of rich amber color, the interior and base covered in black lacquer, hair crack and minor rim chips to lacquer
4½in. (11.5cm.) high

Lot Essay

The hallmark, Xing you heng tang, may be translated, 'made for the hall of constancy', the residence of Zhai Quan, a grandson of the emperor Qianlong, and a famous collector of the Daoguang period who died in 1854

The rendering of the horse is very similar to the rolling horse carved on a bamboo brushpot bearing the signature of Wu Zhifan and dated to the 17th century, illustrated by Wang Shixiang in the Catalogue for the exhibition, Bamboo Carving of China, China House Gallery, New York, March 18, 1983-May 29, 1983, fig. 35, p. 52