Bamboo brushpot depicting ‘The Seven Sages in the Bamboo Grove’- Deeply carved with a scene of seven sages and their attendants assembled in a landscape of mountain, rock, pine tree and bamboo forest. Two engaged in a game of “go” while a third watches, two conversing, two painting at a table, the surface of a rich deep reddish-brown patina.

‘The Seven Sages in the Bamboo Grove’ is one of the most popular themes for brushpot during the Qing dynasty. Artworks on this theme have appeared more frequently on brush pots than on incense urns or wrist rests. The physical layout and techniques used were similar and most of pieces seemed to belong to a carving style of the mid-Qing period, which perhaps were made in the same workshop or from the hands of the same artisan.

竹刻竹林七賢筆筒

此筆筒以深浮雕及透雕技法刻成，刀工嫺熟，構圖巧妙，生動呈現人物三組，開臉惟妙惟肖，各有神態，有動有靜，或對弈于石台之上，或吟詩作畫于松竹之之間，其中有侍從童子嬉戲打鬧。畫面中刻畫以松竹山石，其綫條蒼勁有力，生動形象，而鏤雕之竹林尤爲別致，深淺有別，使畫面更爲立體，是為能工巧匠炫技之作。筆筒經數百年傳世，或伏于文人雅士之案頭，定常年與筆墨相伴，其包漿熟潤細膩，甚是討喜。

[竹林七賢] 是指魏晉年間七位文人名士，均曾投身于官場，因不忍亂世之中與爭權奪利之人同流合污，故相繼卸甲歸田。后七人常相聚與竹林深處，賦詩飲酒，共享園林之樂。因其能在亂世中獨善其身，出淤泥而不染，深為後世文人所欣羡，故此題材在明清時期甚為興盛。