Wrist rest decorated with gourds

1922

Not on view

This wrist rest is an excellent example of bamboo carving by Jin Xiya, the finest bamboo artist active in twentieth-century China. It perfectly demonstrates Jin’s command of intaglio carving at an early stage in his career. The décor, following a design contributed by his brother Jin Cheng (1876–1926), is engraved into the bamboo’s curved surface in fine “iron wire” lines that nonetheless capture the twisting and turning of the foliage. The outlines of the gourds were emphasized with broader, beveled intaglio lines that give the gourds a more three-dimensional appearance. The incised inscription also conveys the varied modulations of Jin Cheng’s calligraphy.

According to the archival list of Jin’s works (wrist rest #9), the bamboo carving was completed on September 6, 1922.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Wrist rest decorated with gourds
Artist: Jin Xiya (Chinese, 1890–1979)
Date: 1922
Culture: China
Medium: Bamboo with intaglio carving
Dimensions: H. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm); W. 3 in. (7.6 cm); D. 1 in. (2.5 cm)
Classification: Bamboo
Credit Line: Florence and Herbert Irving Acquisitions Fund for Asian Art, 2020
Object Number: 2020.347
Rights and Reproduction: © Jin Xiya
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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