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Brushpot (bitong)

A work made of rootwood.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of rootwood.

Date:

Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 18th century

Artist:

China

About this artwork

The artisan behind this rootwood brushpot ingeniously carved it into the form of twisted roots and knotted gnarls, allowing the object to reference its own materiality. During the late Ming Dynasty, objects made of rootwood began to gain popularity among literary elites in the Jiangnan region. This trend was linked to the emergence of elite woodcarvers in the area, along with an aesthetic that revered originality and the unconventional in art and crafts. Made to hold brushes used in painting and calligraphy, this object likely once adorned the table of a scholar.

Status

On View, Gallery 134

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Brushpot (bitong)

Place

China (Object made in:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1700–1799

Medium

Rootwood

Dimensions

13.8 × 16.5 × 10.2 cm (5 7/16 × 6 1/2 × 4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Dorothy Braude Edinburg to the Harry B. and Bessie K. Braude Memorial Collection

Reference Number

2013.1147

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/204348/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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