A large pierced and carved bamboo brushpot (bitong). Qing dynasty, 17th / 18th century

boldly carved with a scene of literati at leisurely pursuits, with four men and one woman gathered around a low table drinking wine as two of them write on handscrolls, flanked by two attendants, behind the rocky mountain pass stand two additional scholars with an attendant, all beneath meandering pine branches and craggy rockwork rendered in openwork detail, supported on three low bracket feet, the bamboo of reddish-brown color, deep patina. height 6 1/2 in., 16.5 cm. Estimate: 25,000—30,000 USD

Provenance: PROPERTY FROM THE WALTER AND MONA LUTZ BAMBOO COLLECTION

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art including Chinese and Japanese Art from The Collection of Frieda and Milton Rosenthal. 16 Sep 08. www.sotheby's.com