A finely carved bamboo brushpot, signed Zhang Xihuang 17th century

of cylindrical form supported on three small feet, the exterior skillfully carved in liu qing with a continuous mountain landscape depicting houses tucked behind trees and massive boulders on a shoreline in the foreground, with high peaks stretching into the distance, signed Xihuang, the rim fitted with a hardwood mount, the bamboo of a dark golden-brown tone

Zhang Xihuang, bamboo carver active in the later Ming dynasty, excelled in the liu qing technique where the skin of the bamboo is left in relief. He was especially skilled in carving figures and landscapes. Zhang's carving style came to be known as the Zhe School of bamboo carving.