A HARDSTONE AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL EMBELLISHED ZITAN ‘ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS’ BRUSH POT
A HARDSTONE AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL EMBELLISHED ZITAN ‘ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS’ BRUSH POT
A HARDSTONE AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL EMBELLISHED ZITAN ‘ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS’ BRUSH POT
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The Property of A Gentleman
A HARDSTONE AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL EMBELLISHED ZITAN ‘ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS’ BRUSH POT

QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)

Details
A HARDSTONE AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL EMBELLISHED ZITAN ‘ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS’ BRUSH POT
QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)
6 ¾ in. (17.2 cm.) high, box
Provenance
Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 19 March 1990, lot 414
Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2324

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Marco Almeida (安偉達)
Marco Almeida (安偉達) SVP, Senior International Specialist, Head of Department & Head of Private Sales

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Lot Essay

The exterior of the brush pot is inlaid with a variety of materials including coloured stones and mother-of-pearl, depicting a scene portrayed in chapter 34 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where Liu Bei leaps his horse across the Tan Stream. On one side of the brush pot, the white Dilu horse can be seen carrying Liu Bei galloping to the edge of a broken bridge, with Cai Mao in pursuit and Zhao Yun guarding his lord from behind. This vividly captures a classic moment from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The other side of the brush pot is inlaid with magnolia and peony motifs, enriching the overall composition and infusing the otherwise heroic theme with a touch of scholarly elegance. This classic scene was included in woodblock prints from both the Ming and Qing dynasties, which may have served as inspiration for the composition of this brush pot (fig. 1). The base has an apocryphal Qianlong mark inlaid in mother-of-pearl.

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