Chinese Porcelain Taoist Immortals Bitong

Chinese porcelain Taoist Immortals bitong, a solidly potted, square form, brush pot with a blue and white glazed exterior, a white glazed interior and inset base, partially covered with fine, large pattern, silver wire craquelure. The lip has dentate corners. The sides are decorated with freely drawn, and finely shaded artwork: the main panel depicts Li Tieguai with his iron crutch, holding a Fu bat in his right hand, his gourd on the ground before him, emitting ascending spirals of smoke with four more fluttering Fu bats; on the next panel left, a gnarled old bush or tree in the form of a dragon; then a depiction of Lu Dongbin with an acolyte, and last, a leafy shrub with a ganoderma. A blue, Yuan Wen Wu Guo Zhi Zhai mark in Zhuanshu script is glazed to the inset base. The finely carved, Chinese, traditional stand, decorated on each side with two Fu Bats flanking three lucky coins, is included. Circa Republic of China era, no later than mid century.

ascending spirals of smoke: denoting Li Tieguai’s power of setting his spirit free from his body.

Yuan Wen Wu Guo Zhi Zhai: “Studio where I want to hear my faults”, the studio name of the painter, Wang Bu (1898 – 1968)

bitong: 5.5″ high x 3.875″ wide x 3.875″ deep

stand: 2″ high x 4.25″ wide x 4.25″ deep