Tree Trunk Brush Pot

Set alongside the four treasures of the study - the calligraphy brush, ink, paper, and inkstone - a brush pot was a fixture of every traditional scholars' desk. This early 20th century brush pot was carved to accentuate natural patterns in the wood grain for a gnarled, tree trunk form. Popular during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), brush pots such as this were revered for their organic appearance, bringing to mind the romantic notion of an artist-scholar living amidst nature.