Notes:
Comparable brush pot
This large brush pot was sold by Sothebys NY as lot 604 in April 2021,part of the Wolf collection. Selling price: $127,000. It had two rim frits polished. The drawing and blue is not as good as our brush pot but we can offer ours for considerably less.
Rough translation of the poem: The fragrance of osmanthus is refreshing, and I write by the pool to sweep away the smoke and clouds. When I feel like writing, I can write Huang Ting, and the geese on the sand belong to Youjun. Qingyunzhai is a good place to play.
OR The inscription is a poetic appreciation of classical Chinese calligraphy and scholarly pursuits, blending atmospheric descriptions with historical references:
• "桂子飄香" (Cassia fragrance drifting): Sets a refined, seasonal autumn ambiance.
• "臨池" & "落筆掃煙雲" (Approaching the pond / Sweeping away mist and clouds with the drop of a pen): Highly literary expressions celebrating the fluid, sweeping motion of dynamic brushstrokes and masterful inkwork.
• "黃庭" (Huangting / The Yellow Court Classic): Refers to the famous Taoist scripture. Historically, the legendary "Sage of Calligraphy," Wang Xizhi (who held the military title Youjun 右軍, referenced in the final columns), famously copied the Huangting Jing in exchange for a flock of white geese from a local Taoist priest.
• "青雲齋佳玩" (Fine Plaything of the Qingyun Studio): Serves as a studio mark, indicating that the piece was commissioned for or appreciated within a specific literati's private library or study room.
The term ‘mu-shi’ (tree and rock) is typical of the names assumed by Qing literati figures, but in this case probably refers to a private kiln as the mark can be found on a selection of pieces from a twenty year period (1690 to 1712). Creative endeavours such as ink painting on screens and writing poetry had been important activities for the literati scholars from ancient times. These figures, free from the confines of artistic schools and the necessity of making a living through their work, considered themselves ideal observers of the workings of moral law in nature. Favouring subjects including bamboo and plum, they often painted spontaneously from nature, with great emphasis on the creative process itself, as shown in this depiction of an artist within nature at the moment of inspiration. During the political upheaval of the late Ming and early Qing, literati-themed wares became popular, as the notions of traditional value and stability associated with the ancient scholars offered a connection to an idealised past. Encouraged by the Emperor’s own personal dedication to literati pursuits, Kangxi collectors valued wares that embodied the scholarly aesthetic and demonstrated their elevated intellectual and social status.
The main kilns for producing porcelain were in Jingdezhen were a great many Imperial and private kilns employed large number of people
During the Kangxi period (1662–1722), blue pigment was primarily sourced from domestic Chinese cobalt mines, supplemented on rare occasions by highly refined imported cobalt. These newly discovered cobalt mines were situated in the Yunnan and Provinance Unlike earlier dynasties that relied heavily on imports from Persia, the Kangxi era is celebrated for achieving a technical zenith using native ores. The primary domestic sources included the Yunnan and Zhejiang Provinces
中国青花刷锅，康熙碧通（1662-1722），约1700-15年
