
Juliette Hammer
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Sold for £19,200 inc. premium
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Specialist, Chinese Works of Art

Head of Chinese and Asian Art, London
十七/十八世紀 果木靈芝紋杖
Since the pre-Qin period, staffs have been essential aids for the elderly and have come to symbolise longevity. Staffs gradually gained popularity among scholars, who found aesthetic and philosophical resonance in carrying a staff while traveling through mountains and rivers. Infused with Chan Buddhist or Daoist sensibilities and a love for nature, the staff became an emblem of the scholar's poetic and contemplative life. From the Song dynasty onward, staffs in the scholar's studio largely transcended their practical function as walking aids, instead becoming symbols of reclusion. In literati paintings, depictions of scholars leaning on staffs are abundant, attesting to their deep appreciation for this object. See a painting depicting a seated luohan holding a staff by Chen Hongshou 陈洪绶 (1598-1652), in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (acc.no.新00146792). See also a scroll 'Walking with a Staff on a Stream Bridge' (溪橋策杖圖軸) by Wen Zhengming 文徵明 (1470-1559), in the Palace Museum, Beijing (acc.no.新00145960).
Compare with a smaller hardwood staff (161.1cm high), Qing dynasty, illustrated by Gerard Hawthorn Ltd., Oriental Works of Art, June 2000, London, no.69.
See also a related burlwood staff, Ming/Qing dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 29 October 2024, lot 1512.