A CARVED BAMBOO 'NINE CHILONG' BRUSHREST QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

skilfully carved as a chilong standing on all fours with a long bifurcated tail curling onto its hind legs, the mythical beast rendered with bulging eyes and a mouth ferociously held agape, supporting eight small chilong clambering on its back, two portrayed biting the tails of two other chilong, the patina of a warm brown colour

Collection of Soame Jenyns (1904-76).
Spink & Son Ltd., London.

Bamboo and Wood Carvings of China and the East, Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1979, cat. no. 154.

The brushrest is in overall good condition. There are expected small chips to the fragile extremities, including one toe and two fangs of the large chilong, the most notable to its snout, measuring approx. 1.3 cm. The snout of one small chilong has been stabilised. There are also minor typical surface wear and age cracks
"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."

Notable for its playful modelling, bamboo carvings of chilong rendered with similar muscular legs and coiled tail include a brushrest in the Ip Yee collection, illustrated in Ip Yee and Laurence C.S. Tam, Chinese Bamboo Carving, Hong Kong, 1978, vol. 1, front cover and col. pl. 29; another in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, published in Chuimei Ho and William Watson, The Arts of China after 1620, New Haven, 2007, p. 53, fig. 61; a bamboo figure of a mythological animal, from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat collection, sold in these rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 153; and a group of two chilong, sold in our London rooms, 18th November 1998, lot 899.