Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
In China, access to political power was granted to those who passed the civil service examinations, a system that offered official service only at a high level of education. Chinese literati-officials whose daily routine was administrative work in an office, enjoyed precious objects on their writing desks that offered distraction and demonstrated good taste. By the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, these utensils of the literati studio became also collectibles and were treasured as artworks.<br><br>Desk objects included paper weights, seals and seal paste boxes, brush rests, wrist rests, brush holders, water droppers, ink cakes, miniature mountains, and albums, all ranging in material from jade, gilt bronze, lacquer, and wood to porcelain.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
149157
label
Clip for Paper with Sage Seated Under a Pine
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
149157
contentType
object
title
Clip for Paper with Sage Seated Under a Pine
description
In China, access to political power was granted to those who passed the civil service examinations, a system that offered official service only at a high level of education. Chinese literati-officials whose daily routine was administrative work in an office, enjoyed precious objects on their writing desks that offered distraction and demonstrated good taste. By the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, these utensils of the literati studio became also collectibles and were treasured as artworks.<br><br>Desk objects included paper weights, seals and seal paste boxes, brush rests, wrist rests, brush holders, water droppers, ink cakes, miniature mountains, and albums, all ranging in material from jade, gilt bronze, lacquer, and wood to porcelain.
date
1600s or 1700s
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79930130
creators
35603
genreSpecific
Wood
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 9.5 cm (3 3/4 in.)
cul
China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
accession
1977.8
Source extras
tec
carved bamboo
tombstone
Clip for Paper with Sage Seated Under a Pine, 1600s or 1700s. Pu Zhongqian (Chinese, active 1600s). Carved bamboo; overall: 9.5 cm (3 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Edward L. Whittemore Fund, 1977.8
collection
China - Ming Dynasty
inscriptions
inscription
signed by the artist
didYouKnow
Pu Zhongqian was considered a master bamboo carver.
citations
citation
Sotheby's London.<em> Early Chinese Ceramics; Sung, Ming and Ch'ing Wares; Lacquer; Works of Art</em>. December 14, 1976. Lot 234.
citation
Ip, Yee, and Laurence C. S. Tam. <em>Chinese Bamboo Carving</em> [中國竹刻藝術 = Zhongguo Zhu Ke Yi Shu]. Hong Kong: Urban Council, 1978.
page_number
Reproduced: cat. no. 22, p. 171, pl. 10
citation
Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1977.” <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 65, no. 1 (1978): 2–42.
page_number
Mentioned: no. 135, p. 42
citation
Williams, Marjorie.<em> Chinese Painting--an Escape from the "Dusty" World</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1981.
page_number
Reproduced: fig. 42, p. 61
citation
Wang, Shixiang, and Wango H. C. Weng. <em>Bamboo Carving of China</em>. New York: China House Gallery, China Institute in America, 1983.
page_number
Reproduced: cat. no. 4
creditline
Edward L. Whittemore Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 07:40:40.997000
sourceId
149157
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Ming Dynasty
med
carved bamboo
creatorTags
male
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
ea58507a10846006