清乾隆 筠谷製竹刻水仙詩文筆筒 《己亥六月中浣筠谷》款

題識：月明波上正流香。

A private Japanese collection.
Brian Harkins, London, February 2008.

Skilfully carved with narcissus flowers in bold and broad strokes, this brushpot bears the signature of the scholar Yang Qian, from Jiading, Jiangsu province. The son of the master bamboo carver Yang Yinjun, zi Shengrong, hao Gulin, who lived in Xinjingli, Yang followed the footsteps of his father, and became especially renowned for seal carving. Known to have used a variety of media, Yang’s seals were praised by contemporary scholars as having a marvellous antique feel as he used a single bladed method (dandao ga), with intaglio characters. Yang’s seals were sought after by well-known scholars, including Jin Nong (1687-1763), one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou, who was in possession of two seals carved by Yang, and Luo Pin (1733-99), another member of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou. He was also noted as a skilled calligrapher, excelling at seal script, and a painter of fine plum blossoms and bamboo.

The narcissus flower (shuixian) is a symbol of good fortune and prosperity and is the flower of the New Year. It is associated with longevity, as the character xian in its name also signifies immortal hence a bunch of narcissus symbolise a group of immortals.