Lot 2902. A finely carved imperial ivory brushpot, bitong, Qing dynasty, 18th century; 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 500,000 - HKD 700,000. Price Realized HKD 920,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

The thick cylindrical walls superbly carved in different levels of relief with a continuous scene depicting the Emperor standing beside a pond before a terraced pavilion flanked by attendants bearing boxes, drinks and parasols overlooking a 'lily picking' party with groups of female figures in boats plucking sprigs of lotus and placing them in baskets and pots, with further figures overlooking the scene from pavilions and walkways in the background, all set within a tree-strewn rocky landscape.

Note: The fine workmanship and some of the stylistic features found on the present example can be seen in a number of ivory carvings in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Bamboo, Wood and Ivory Carvings, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2002, vol. 44, nos.151, 152 and 156. Compare also the finely rendered scene on an ivory brushpot from the George and Mary Bloch Collection sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 23 October 2005, lot 65.

It is interesting to note that the scenes depicted on ivory brushpots and other carvings in the Court collections often depict less conventional and more intimate scenes than those found on other carvings of the period. An ivory brushpot signed by Huang Zhenxiao in the Palace Museum, Beijing dated to 1738 and finely carved with a detailed scene depicting a family of fishermen relaxing by the banks of a river is illustrated ibid., no. 153.