Chinese Brush Jar, 1920s.

Nice Chinese brush container made of solid bamboo hand-carved wood. This item dates from the 1920s and is undoubtedly a very exotic and delicate object. The solid bamboo wood from which the container is made comes from an only piece, and its attractive reddish color provides the piece with a great beauty. Solid and hard, this wood is the perfect base to carve scenes like the one we can see on this container: a simple and charming traditional scene, with a male figure dressed in traditional clothes. The figure is holding a bundle (on the floor) with his right hand and clasping a branch with his left hand. The great care and detail of the carving are really remarkable. The clothes creases are fine and simple, but at the same time they are full of movement and fluency. The branch the figure is clasping belongs to a bonsai which stands on the base of a cut tree. The bonsai is full of flowers, and in each one we can clearly see the petals, delicately engraved one by one. The figure is standing on some kind of platform which has stairs on the left and on the right. The stairs on the right seem to climb up to a small temple. It small size probably indicates that the temple is quite distant. The brush container is in very good condition, with no cracks or broken parts. These containers are designed to keep the brushes used in Chinese calligraphy and painting, in the same way that we in the West use similar containers to put away pencils and pens. For this reason, this exotic example of the Chinese art of carving on wood can be the perfect gift for any lover or art or calligraphy, and will glow with its simple beauty on the most special desk. Measurements: 170 mm height x 120 mm width.