Vtg CHINESE SCHOLAR'S BLUE AND WHITE BAMBOO PORCELAIN CALLIGRAPHY BRUSH POT

Description

A beautiful Chinese "blue and white" wares porcelain Brush Pot. Brush pots were an important symbol of a Chinese scholar's refinement and were referred to as one of the "treasures", a reference to the “Four Treasures of the Study” and the
general name of the main traditional writing tools of
Chinese
calligraphy, i.e. writing brush, ink, ink stone, and paper. The scholar hoped to become proficient in the art of poetry, painting, and, most importantly, calligraphy - the “three perfections.”
Classical scholars had more than just the traditional Four Treasures in their studies - the other "Treasures" included the brush-holder, paperweights, seal, seal-ink and brush pot, which together with
related paraphernalia became coveted items in the scholar’s study.
Used to store calligraphy brushes, brush pots (“bitong”) during
the Ming and early Qing dynasties, were made of wood, bamboo, porcelain, lacquer, and even jade, and
as with many scholar's objects, were often decorated with appropriate literati subject matter.
White porcelain decorated with blue painted under the glaze is among the most famous of all Chinese porcelain. Under-glaze blue had been used in the Middle East at least as early as the 9th century. Cobalt material [blue pigment] was introduced to China from the Middle East by the conquering Mongolians during the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), and particularly notable are the “blue and white” wares produced during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The envy of potters and collectors in Europe and the Middle East, Chinese blue-and-white porcelain owed its excellence to the fine clay available to the Chinese as well as to their high-temperature kilns and the cobalt pigment they used to produce the brilliant hues. This
superb "blue and white" wares brush pot
features a classic traditional Chinese landscape narrative,
in which figures and motifs are depicted almost like a graphic novel or film sequences in porcelain.
It measures 2.25 inches in diameter by 3.5 inches in height. It is in very good condition.
It also comes with a fine carved mahogany wood base. This would make an exceptionally fine addition to any collection of scholar's or calligraphy objects, or ceramics collection in general.