The brush pot of elegant hexagonal form, finely crafted from richly figured burlwood. The surface of this ‘bitong’ is alive with swirling grain and natural whorls that evoke mist over mountain landscapes. The sides rise in clean, tapering lines to a slightly inverted rim.
A hexagonal burlwood brush pot ‘bitong’ (Qing dynasty)
Description
Dimensions: 19cm high, 19.3cm diameter
Provenance:
A private Scandinavian collection, acquired in the 1980s
The brush pot of elegant hexagonal form, finely crafted from richly figured burlwood. The surface of this ‘bitong’ is alive with swirling grain and natural whorls that evoke mist over mountain landscapes. The sides rise in clean, tapering lines to a slightly inverted rim.
This ‘bitong’ displays both the restraint and refinement characteristic of the scholar’s studio. The mellow patina, deepened through generations of handling, enhances the wood’s lustrous depth and warmth. Objects such as this, both functional as well as poetic, embody the literati ideal of harmony between nature and artistry.
