A RARE ROOTWOOD BRUSHPOT QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

the brushpot of irregular form with a gnarled and twisted body accentuated with burls and crevasses, the sides freely incised with an inscription from Xie Hui's biography, the inscription deviating from a structured four-line form along the irregular surface, followed by two characters reading gu song ('ancient pine'), the exterior well patinated to a lustrous variegated reddish-brown colour

The brushpot is in overall good condition. There are expected minor losses and age cracks along edges and fragile extremities.
"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 four-line inscription is excerpted from the biography of Xie Hui (late 5th - early 6th centuries) and recorded as being said by him in Nanshi [History of the Southern Dynasties, 420-589], Beijing, 1975, 20:560.

The quote can be translated as:
'The only one to enter my chamber / is but the fresh breeze / And the only one to drink with me / is but the bright moon.'

The other inscribed characters gusong (‘ancient pine’) do not correlate to the aforementioned inscription and is likely to be referring to the wood itself.

Compare a similar scroll pot from the Richard Rosenblum collection, illustrated in Richard Rosenblum, Art of the Natural World: Resonances of Wild Nature in Chinese Sculptural Art, Boston, 2001, cat. no. 51.