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Can anyone help me with the translation of the characters on this jade brush washer? Also, I would appreciate any other insight or information regarding the design, possible age, origin of the bowl. It belonged to my father and I really know very little about it.

Additional pictures

This Chinese brush pot is probably carved from nepherite jade. However it is not very old from the wood stand and also from the carving, as well as from how the inside of the brushpot is carved out. It is modern- late 20th century.

It looks like Jade (Nephrite), but looking at this item, with the tremendous gloss...it looks lacquered, something I don't believe. If this is truly a very high polish, the way it shows on your photos, then this item was made within the last app.12 years.
Ernest

Thanks for the information. The high gloss is because I cleaned it. My father purchased this brush washer in the mid 1970's (either in NY or possibly Hong Kong). I'm still trying to find the paperwork. It was very dirty/ dusty so I washed gently and then used mineral oil to polish. It is not lacquered.

There are two sentences that contains four characters in each sentence. Cannot see the last character at the end of each sentence very well. If you can "blacken" the characters and take another photo it will help or copy the characters the best you can and repost will also help.

Are there "eight" human figures on the jade brusher?

Thanks.

Bill

Hi, Kathy:

I believe I finally figured them out:

The two phrases (each contains four Chinese characters) are:

(see picture)

Fang = imitate.
Gu = ancient.
Jing = scenery; scene; view.
Ji = vestige, sign, track, footprint, visible signs left by something or somebody.

Ba = eight
Xian = Immortals; celestial beings.
Zhi = (pronoun) of; ('s).
Yu = house; evaes (of a hill); world.

Translation: (Right to left; top to bottom)

An Imitated Ancient Scenery

The Residence of the Eight Immortals.

The eight immortals are supposedly consisting of 6 men and 2 women. However, in some references, they believe LAN CAI-HE can be either a boy or a woman. The stories of the eight mortals could be found in stories written duirng Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties.

For more information regarding the 8 immortals, please refer to:

http://www.chinapage.org/8-immortal.html

http://www.hoodong.com/wiki/%E5%85%AB%E4%BB%99

http://www.asianartmall.com/8immortalsarticle.htm

Both the penmanship and carving of these eight Chinese characters on this jade brush pot are not very good. Therefore, more than likely this may be a modern piece.

I do not know if true color of this piece is shown on its pictures. I also do not know its size and weight. I believe there is a very strong possibility that this was carved out of a whole piece of nephrite rock. If it is big, then just the nephrite material alone would be difficult to find in today¡¯s market. Then I believe this piece has to be more than 20 years old. Unfortunately I cannot see the tool marks inside, if you can see old tu marks inside, then this piece would be made prior the the early 60s. There is a slight possibility it can be made of jadeite (if it is small), then would actually make a more modern piece because it is actually easier to obtain jadeite materials. A hardness test and a S.G. will tell for sure what it was made of.

Not a bad piece though.

Bill

Thanks so much for all the help. The information on the eight immortals is very interesting. It is quite a large piece, approximately 8 3/4" to 10" across and 6" high. Also, is very heavy, though I don't have a scale to weigh it on. So, probably nephrite jade? I know my father purchased it in New York (maybe HongKong)sometime in late 1970's, no later than 1981. It is fairly smooth inside, would hand tool marks easy to tell? I'm very new at this, it was part of my father's collection.

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