Chinese Molded Brush Pot

This Chinese molded brush pot for sale dates to the 19th/20th century Guangxu period circa the late Qing dynasty. Composed of soft-paste porcelain, the opposite of hard-paste porcelain wares, this brush pot, or “bitong,” is decorated in a waisted cylindrical form flaring at the mouth and is decorated with a molded relief stylized lotus flowers and center band. The underside of the vessel is stamped with a low relief and partially faded seal stamp center. Similar in tone to Dehua porcelain or Blanc de Chine, a white glazed Chinese porcelain made in Dehua within Fujian province was produced since the Ming dynasty. This vase with a more neutral tone and a lightly textured crackle glaze.

Variations of this porcelain type have existed, with some blending the white glaze with a crackled texture as in this example, which was commonly done during the late Qing dynasty and created for export to Japan and Europe. Considered as scholars’ objects for holding brushes, brush pots served as a desk accessory for painters and calligraphers. However, they retain a highly decorative element for interior decor as tabletop vases, jars, and pots, and are also highly collected by Connoisseurs of antique Chinese porcelain and Chinese antiques.