• Dimension: Height: 4 in (10.2 cm) Width: 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm)
• Estimate From: $5500
• Estimate To: $9500

Of circular shape and mounted on hardwood, each brushpot is skillfully carved through the ochreous skin to the brownish red body with landscape scene, one decorated with an entrance to the front leading to the pavilions and palaces inside, surrounded by different varieties of trees emerging from the rocky outcrops, to the left with a fisherman rowing a boat by the bank, above with a seven character inscription and artist's signature 'XI HUANG' and two seal marks, the reverse with an arched bridge linking two rocky hills; the other carved with similar landscape with three figures walking on the riverside below a circular seal mark and a rectangular seal mark. Late Ming Dynasty period.

張希黃，明末人。工刻竹。發明留青陽文（一名皮雕，以竹青作花，去皮作底）刻法，工細精緻，曲盡畫理。山水樓閣似李昭道，偶作小景，又似趙令穰，點綴人物並生動有致。題句書法則類趙孟俯。褚德彜雲：“曾在金西莊家見希黃刻筆鬥一件，款署希黃；下有張宗略印，惟裏貫不可考耳。或雲江陰人，未知是否?”按此則希黃當名宗略。待考。 《前塵夢影錄、舊學庵筆記、續竹人錄、文物》。張氏活躍於明代中晚期，以擅長“留青竹刻”而名揚於世，改進和發展了前人的“留青”技法，使之成為明清竹雕中別具一格的品種。此對筆筒竹製，口足紅木鑲嵌，通體棗紅油潤。雕刻者以“留青陽文”之法，於器壁通景雕刻“溪山待渡圖”。高山聳立，水環其周，溪邊垂柳迎風，樓閣半隱松柏，高仕攜琴待渡，艄翁撐舟徐來。詩景畫意，“四王遺風”盡在希黃所刻筆筒。兩筆筒畫面對稱，上側分別留青題：一題“林溪苔徑步斜暉”，落“希黃”款；一鈐“希黃”、“張宗略”印。包漿古閏，頗為少見。