AN INSCRIBED BAMBOO WRISTREST QING DYNASTY

of curved rectangular form, the bamboo with an attractive patina of a warm honey-brown tone, the convex side incised with five stems of leafy bamboo, inscribed on the right in clerical script with an excerpt of a poem by the 9th century Tang dynasty poet Chen Tao

Apart from very minor nicks and faint scratches along the edge and on the underside, the overall condition is very good. The actual colour is of a deeper and warmer reddish-brown tone compared to catalogue illustration. The old silk pouch bears some fading and wear consistent with age.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The poem on this wristrest is by the Tang dynasty poet Chen Tao. It may be translated as follows:

          I tire not of the Green-Jade Lord in the eastern valley;
          the two fenghuang on the Altar of Heaven are heard from time to time.
          One peak seems, in the dawn, to pay court to the immortals,
          and the green nodes [of its bamboo] lean on the crimson clouds. 

A related bamboo wristrest attributed to the early-Qing period is illustrated in Uncanny Ingenuity and Celestial Feats: The Carvings of Ming and Qing Dynasties (Art of Bamboo, Wood and Fruit Stone Carving), Taipei, 2007, pl. 17; another example, simply carved with a plum branch motif, is included in Simon Kwan, Ming and Qing Bamboo, Hong Kong, 2000, pl. 149; and four wristrests of this form, attributed to the Qing dynasty, are published in Ip Yee and Laurence C.S. Tam, Chinese Bamboo Carving, Hong Kong, 1978 and 1982, part 1, pls. 154-157.