Blue and White Brush Pot with Fish and Flora

Set alongside the four treasures of the study - the calligraphy brush, ink, paper, and inkstone - a brush pot, or bitong, was an essential fixture of the scholars' desk. This porcelain brush pot beautifully exemplifies this traditional form with the classical artistry of Chinese blue-and-white ceramics. Loosely brushed atop a cool white field is an underwater landscape full of charming fish amid delicately flowering lotus pods and flowing lily pads.