The three cartouches that decorate the exterior of this unique brushpot, intricately inlaid in gold and silver enclosing a carp emerging from the waves, a qilin under the full moon and a three-legged toad near a stream, all derive from rare late Ming woodblock prints. This provides confirmation of the brushpot’s highly individual inspiration and manufacture. The style of the high-quality decoration of the cartouches closely matches that on late Ming lacquer and ceramic design, enabling the vessel to be accurately dated to the Jiajing or Wanli period. For a Wanli period lacquer tray with decoration of pheasants and flowers in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2006, pl. 171. The silver and gold inlays are skillfully created, with the repetitive formalised patterns achieved with very thin gold and silver wire under complete technical and artistic control. The red-lacquer presentation character brushed beneath indicates that this brushpot probably had a history in Japan, likely for use in sencha tea ceremony.
Robert de Semallé (1839-1946), secretary of the French embassy in Beijing between 1880 and 1883, is renowned for the series of photographs he took of the city and its surroundings.
