Coconut carved chinese brushpot, China 18th century

Brush pot carved from coconut. Decorated with fish-tailed dragons (makara), pagoda and fish. The sculptures are of good quality, harmonious, precise and deep. The dragons compete for the sacred pearl which exceptionally has the shape of an inverted heart. At the neck, a reticulated band of exagons is chiseled and surprisingly hollowed out, so that it stands out from the background like lace. This is only visible upon careful examination and would appear to have no aesthetic interest, rendering technical prowess unnecessary. However, the play of shadows caused by this recess gives a nice depth to the reticle which seems to float, confirming the excellent quality of the pot. Below is carved a character "Shou" symbol of longevity. The whole thing is covered with lacquer. Chinese work from the 18th century.
Ancient sculptures from this period are extremely rare; very little is known about them. A box kept at the Palace Museum, reproduced in book 44 of "Palace Museum Complete Collection" page 88 also bears a sacred pearl in the shape of an inverted heart. A brush pot almost identical to the similar decoration sold by Christies London November 5, 2013 lot 112.
At the end of the 19th century, many coconut objects of poor quality, mainly utilitarian, were created in China for export, notably tea sets.
?Part of the upper edge was broken and repaired (see photo).