四方小千简盆

English working translation

Yixing Purple Clay Basin

This purple clay basin was created in 1983 with the assistance of Teacher Gu Guodong during the period when Gu Jingzhou traveled to Shanghai to seek treatment for his wife's eye condition.

The "Small Square Qianjian Basin" features a delicate body with pure clay quality. It has a flat rim, uniform wall thickness, slightly thicker basin walls, straight sides, and rests on four low feet. The overall form is stable and dignified, with clean and simple lines that convey a sense of solemnity and substance.

On the basin wall, Gu Jingzhou inscribed: "Created as a gift for Elder Brother Guodong, Jingzhou." The body is carved with plum blossoms and their shadows, outlining the poetic beauty of "sparse shadows slanting across clear shallow water, delicate fragrance floating in the moonlit dusk."[1] This decoration embellishes the otherwise plain exterior of the purple clay without compromising the vessel's simple and dignified appearance. The carving was executed by Xu Xiutang, with the signature "Carved in the spring of the Guihai year, Xiutang depicted plum blossoms and inscribed this."

The basin serves as a testament to the friendship between the two parties.

---

[1] This is a reference to the famous lines from Lin Bu's poem about plum blossoms.