Lot 3607. A tree trunk brushpot, Qing dynasty; 32 by 31 by 29.5 cm., 12 1/2 by 12 by 11 1/2 in. Estimate 220,000 — 280,000 HKD. Lot sold 375,000 HKD. Photo Sotheby's

naturalistically carved from a hollowed-out trunk section of a large gnarled tree, the irregular sides left with the original knots, holes and protrusions, incised with a poetic inscription reading Shiding peng yun ting jian yu, Yuxiao chui yue he song tao ('listening to the babbling brook while melting the clouds in the stone ding vessel, harmonising the waves of the pine while playing the jade flute to the moon'), followed by the signature Youcun, Shao Can. 

Note: Shao Can (1803-1862), also named Youcun, was an official in the late Qing period.

Sotheby's. Contemporary Literati — A Gathering, Hong Kong, 07 april 2014