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Head of Chinese and Asian Art, London
十八世紀 竹雕「一路連科」圖筆筒
The lotus pond, with its blossoms rising serenely from the murky depths, embodies the ideals the Song dynasty scholar Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073) extolled in 'On Loving the Lotus'. In his essay, he praises the flower as a symbol of purity and moral integrity—untouched by the mud from which it grows, much like the ideal scholar who remains virtuous amid worldly corruption. Drifting upon the water's surface, the lotus stands in quiet elegance, its fragrance subtle yet enduring, a reminder that true refinement and wisdom flourish not in seclusion but amidst the trials of life. A similar style of carving of lotus but on a bamboo perfume holder, 18th century, in the Hong Kong Museum of Art, is illustrated by Ip Yee and L.C.S.Tam, Chinese Bamboo Carving, vol.II, Hong Kong, 1982, pp.268-269, no.80.
See also a related carved bamboo lotus pond brushpot, mid-Qing dynasty, illustrated in Classics of the Forbidden City: Scholar's Paraphernalia, Beijing, 2009, no.49.