i4uuu Collection Museum Debuts a 16th Century Chinese Bamboo Carving Masterpiece by Zhu Sansong The i4uuu Collection Museum announces the acquisition of a Chinese literati art masterpiece, a bamboo brush pot or Bitong by Zhu Sansong (active 1573-1619) of the Jiading School.
News-Antique.com - Nov 30,-0001 - The i4uuu Collection Museum announces the acquisition of a Chinese literati art masterpiece, a bamboo brush pot or Bitong by Zhu Sansong (active 1573-1619) of the Jiading School. The rare and important bamboo brush pot will be exhibited at i4uuu Collection Museum in Taipei from January 5th, 2006 for three months. The online exhibition is ongoing at the i4uuu Collection Online Museum at http://zhu.arts.i4uuu.com.
The exhibition of this exquisite Chinese bamboo brushpot is prompted by the recent record-breaking auction sales of two Chinese bamboo brush pots by the 17th Century bamboo carver Gu Jue (1662-1722). A Brushpot carved with minute details to depict travelers in a mountain landscape, and signed by the master carver, Gu Jue, who was active in the late 17the Century was sold by Christie’s in May, 2005 for an astounding price of HK$11,000,000 or approximately US$1,400,000. Another brush pot by the same carver from the Mary and George Bloch Collection was sold by Sotheby’s in October, 2005 for HK$5,200,000 or approximately US$650,000. The amazing price achieved for Chinese bamboo carving has placed this art form back to the favorite acquisition list of Chinese art patrons. i4uuu Collection Museum is proud to present in the time of renewed interests in Chinese bamboo carving art a beautiful bamboo brush pot by the master carver, Zhu Sansong.
Zhu Sansong is the youngest of the three Zhu masters of the late 16th Century in the Jiading, Jiangsu Province. His works and those of his father, Zhu Ying (1520-1587), are characterized by original compositions of figures in nature, elegant spatial layout, and a keen interest in the characters’ interaction through eye contacts, expression and posture. The Zhu family founded the Jiading school of bamboo carving and their followers such as Gu Jue and Wu Zhifan flourished until the eighteenth Century.
The i4uuu brush pot has openwork carving as the other known Zhu Sansong work, an incense holder, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. The openwork relief depicts “ Wang Xizhi bartered his calligraphy for a beloved Goose”, the legendary story of the 4th Century master calligrapher, Wang Xizhi (303-379 AD) who would use his calligraphy in exchange for a goose. The round bamboo section is intricately carved with openwork depicting Wang Xizhi at the writing table while another literati sitting next to him enjoying his performance and excited about the exchange. An attendant is standing by the two literati holding books and tending the lovely goose. The playful goose keeps his eyes on the present and future masters. Two more attendants on the backside of the brush pot are tending to tea-making and flower arrangement for their master. All this is arranged in a rocky outdoor setting underneath a pine tree with a scaly trunk and twisting branches. The inscription preceding the signature reads Su Zhong Long Erh Gong, Her Zheng Bie Zhu Ren (Calligraphy is to pamper the caged goose who would never think of leaving his master). The signature following the inscription is the artist’s signature in archaic
