19th century|The vertically ribbed bamboo exterior gently waisted and speckled with caramel-brown 'teardrop' patches, the dark zitan interior smoothly hollowed, with Japanese box and cover. 12.2cm (4 6/8in) high. (3).|十九世紀 湘妃竹嵌紫檀筆筒Spotted bamboo was particuarly prized by the literati for the their 'teardrop' pattern. According to legend, when the semi-mythical Emperor Shun died, the tears of his concubine, the Goddess of the Xiang River, dropped onto the nearby bamboo and stained it forever. This type of mottled bamboo is thus known as Xiangfei zhu (湘妃竹) or 'Concubine Xiang's bamboo'.