A SUPERB BAMBOO 'FIGURAL' BRUSHPOT, SIGNED DENG FUJIA QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY |

the cylindrical body finely carved in high relief with men and women enjoying erudite pastimes at a mountain retreat, in one pavilion an elderly scholar playing the qin for a female companion, nearby other scholars and attendants walking down a forested path carrying peaches and drinking cups, another official arriving on horseback wearing a futou, two further men seated under a willow playing liubo on a stone table, the background richly detailed with pines, wutong, willows, rocks, and distant peaks, some of the details undercut and modeled fully in the round, the artist's seal Yongji carved into one of the rocks, applied with a hongmu mouth rim and a hongmu base carved with three low feet

The brushpot is in overall good condition with only one small loss to the tip of a pine branch, small nicks to the rims and feet, and fine age cracks. Please note that this lot includes a stand, frame or other component made from a type of Chinese hardwood, which, if exported, will require a CITES permit to leave the United States.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Deng Fujia, zi Yongji, a native of Fujian, was an accomplished bamboo carver during the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods. Characterized by the high complexity of the design and meticulously executed details, Deng's carving style represents a new development from the traditional Jiading School of literati bamboo carving and became highly influential from the 18th century onward. Compare two bamboo carvings by Deng Fujia in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, one carved with Tao Yuanming under a pine tree, inscribed with a very similar artist's seal, the other, a washer, carved in the form of a gnarled pine tree, with the Yongjia mark arranged vertically, exhibited in Literati Spirit. Art of Chinese Bamboo Carving, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 2012, cat. nos 33 and 34 respectively. See also a related bamboo brushpot, carved in a similar style, depicting ladies and boys engaging in various leisurely pursuits, attributed to the 18th century, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th May 2006, lot 1493.