Chinese Brush Pot

A tall black cylinder hides a startling green interior.

This Peking glass brush pot is from China, and dates to the 20th century. A brush pot is a container for writing brushes, a standard item on a Chinese scholar's desk alongside the inkstone, ink stick and paper. A short, thick-walled cylindrical container with a high black gloss on the outside and visible fine ridges near the top. The interior glows emerald green, and the rim is clean, sharp, and slightly flared. It is 5.5 inches high and 4.5 in diameter.

Somber outside, with a splash of green for the curious.