Cer, China, Ming, blue and white brush tray

Shallow, oblong, blue and white porcelain tray split into two unevenly sized sections by a mountain shaped divider. Painted with a design of dragons pursuing flaming pearls. The interior of the main section is decorated in relief with a design of dragons and plants.

Purchased from Dr. S. W. Bushell, accessioned in 1883. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
A very similar example, but with phoenix instead of dragons, is in the Shanghai museum. See: 'Art from the scholar's studio; Artistic life in the late Ming period James C.Y. Watt & Chu-tsing Li eds (London 1987 no.4. The similarities are close enough to suggest that they may have once formed a pair, or at the least be products of the same decorating workshop.

This shallow, oblong brush tray is made of white porcelain decorated in underglaze cobalt blue. It is split into two unevenly sized sections by a mountain shaped divider. The brush handles were laid in between the mountain peaks which held them in place. Rests like these were probably used in conjunction with other rests as painters would have used several sizes and types of brush on any one composition.

97-1883