Two bamboo 'pine trunk' libation cups


17th/18th centuryEach cup finely and naturalistically carved as gnarled pine trunks with knots and bark, the exterior carved in openwork with further twisting branches bearing sprays of needles, the patina of the bamboo a dark, warm coffee hue.Each: 14cm (5 1/2in) wide (2).
|Bamboo was used extensively in the Ming and Qing Dynasties for carved scholar's objects such as the cups in the present lot. Alongside being a highly suitable material for detailed carving work that would delight the hand and eye, there is also strong symbolism at play. A learned scholar observing the present lot could reflect on the positive connotations of the material that resonate through Chinese culture.As early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907) the poet Bai Juyi (772-846) summarized the merits of bamboo according to its characteristics: its deep root denotes resoluteness, straight stem represents honour, its interior modesty and its clean exterior exemplifies chastity - all qualities a scholar should strive for in their daily life.Bamboo came to be considered the 'gentleman' of the natural world and appears in many famous visual puns frequently encountered in the decorative motifs of Chinese art including 'The Four Friends' of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum and 'The Three Friends of Winter' consisting of pine, bamboo and plum.In addition to the poetic attributes of bamboo, it figures large in the material history of China having been used since at least the 12th century BC on-wards for food, clothing, housing, transportation, music instruments and writing materials.Compare the present lot with a single carved bamboo libation cup, dated 17th/18th century, sold at Christie's, 10 May 2011, lot 17.