Brush pot with hunting scene 17th century

This brush pot, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was crafted by Zhou Naishi during the Qing dynasty in the late 17th to early 18th century. The dark reddish-brown bamboo surface is meticulously carved with a continuous hunting scene, set against a rugged landscape. Notice how the cylindrical form of the pot dictates the composition, compressing space and figures into a dynamic, swirling panorama. The artist masterfully exploits the material properties of bamboo, using varying depths of relief to create light and shadow, texture and depth. The dense, overlapping forms of rocks, trees, and figures create a sense of depth, yet remain grounded on the surface. This tension between flatness and depth, representation and abstraction, engages with the broader philosophical question of how we perceive and interpret the world around us through art. Ultimately, the interplay of form and material in this brush pot transcends mere decoration, inviting contemplation on the nature of representation itself.