Chinese Brush Pot with Foo Lion Motif, Abbreviated Qianlong Mark, and Chocolate Underglaze

A lion leaps across the waves, and the honeycomb around it does not flinch.

This brush pot with a foo lion motif, abbreviated Qianlong mark and chocolate underglaze comes from China and dates to the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912 CE). It is porcelain with russet paint. Brush pots were a fixture of the Chinese scholar's desk, holding brushes upright and often decorated with auspicious creatures. The straight-sided pot carries two lobed panels in underglaze blue, each with a foo lion bounding over waves beneath russet flames. Between them, a russet honeycomb diaper is dotted with blue and red blossoms. Blue lines circle the rim and foot. It is 5.9 inches high and 7.5 in diameter.

A fierce guard for a cup of brushes.