This brush washer is carved with a flowering prunus tree set against a mountain backdrop, worked in soapstone running red through black, the darker stone doing the work of mountain and shadow while the paler tones carry the blossoms. Prunus in bloom is a well-worn subject in Chinese art generally, valued for flowering while everything else is still bare, and it translates well into carved relief where the contrast between bare branch and blossom can be picked out in the stone itself.
It's a quieter, more contemplative piece, working as a small landscape rather than a populated scene — the kind of carving that rewards a slower look rather than announcing itself all at once.
Condition notes
Very good antique condition. Small nicks commensurate with age.
