A RARE PARCEL-GILT BRONZE DRUM-SHAPED INKSTICK AND BRUSH HOLDERLate Ming Dynasty The curved sides decorated around the exterior with lotus scrolls picked out in gold, all between two gilt decorated bands, the top with four smaller circular opening around a larger central opening, a rectangular opening for an inkstick. 11.3cm (4 1/2in) diam. Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve. 本拍品不設底價 明晚期 部分鎏金鼓形卷草紋筆插 Provenance : Nicholas Grindley Work of Art Ltd., London, 17 May 2006 來源 ：倫敦古董商 Nicholas Grindley Work of Art Ltd.，2006年5月17日 The use of the present lot is clarified by a painting of the famous philosopher Wang Yangming (1472-1529) seated at his writing desk which illustrates a handscroll of his letters and other related material. The piece is shown on his desk with three brushes placed, tips upwards, in it, together with a small vase of flowers, an inkstone and a water dropper or paper weight. The natural assumption is that the rectangular section is to hold an inkstick, which is confirmed by the late Ming scholar Wen Zhenheng, who in Zhang wu zhi ('A Treatise on Superfluous Things') under the heading of brushpots wrote: '... there are also drum-shaped ones with holes in them for inserting brushes and ink. ' Parcel-gilt bronze examples are rare, but see a similar blue and white brush and ink stand, Jiajing, illustrated by G.Tsang and H.Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio , Hong Kong, 1986, pp.226-227, no.212; see also Lot 52 in this sale.