KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722)

The figure depicted on the present parfumier is Tao Yuanming, whose poem Guiqulai ci, 'Returning Home' contains the verse: Fu gusong er panhuan, 'I yet caress this lonely pine, and linger'. The composition on the present piece could be compared to a bamboo brush pot with the same subject-matter by the famous Ming-dynasty carver Zhu Ying of the Jiading School, in the collection of Wang Shixiang, illustrated in Ming Qing zhuke yishu, Taipei, 1999, pl. 12. Although there are some similarities in composition between the two bamboo carvings, the current example has evolved stylistically in many aspects. The shallow relief preferred by Zhu Ying has been replaced by higher relief, and the designs are carved in multiple layers, adding to its depth and complexity. The rocks have become much more rugged with the use of short knife cuts, imitating the cun brush strokes found on landscape paintings.