This lot of cylindrical form is meticulously carved in varied layers of relief with a continuous scene of scholars accompanied by attendants all gathering in a garden setting with bamboo, pine, plantain, and wutong trees, and rockwork creating a harmonious environment around the tucked-away studios, swirling clouds above and a flowing stream beneath, three of the scholars at a table appreciating a painting, one looking on the landscape with a sense of ease, another group drinking and conversing by a babbling brook. The present brushpot is intricately carved with an idyllic scene of scholars at leisure. The erudite companions have convened for an 'elegant gathering' at an open-air studio set in a hilly garden lush with vegetation. Natural and balustraded paths snake above the rocky riverbanks connecting the various areas of the garden. At one side of a pavilion, water flows swiftly down a hillside stream before joining the current running around the foot of the brushpot. Boulders, mature wutong, foliate bamboo, prickly pines, and large-leafed plantain trees, each carved to varying depths, fill the composition with texture, naturalism, and sweeping lines that lead the eye on an active journey around the vessel. The overall effect is a coherent environment that perfectly accommodates the scholars' needs to immerse themselves in nature without forgoing the creature comforts that enable them to pursue their vocation.