Chinese Ceramic Brush Pot

Glossy as a lacquer tray, and just as unbothered.

This brush pot was made in China in porcelain. The record gives no date. Brush pots hold writing and painting brushes on a scholar’s desk and remain a classic form of Chinese studio ware. The cylindrical body is wrapped in a dark, deep glaze that looks almost black, with a slight lip and a pair of raised bands near the rim. A stepped foot ring anchors the base. The surface is smooth and reflective.

About eight inches across and tall. Heavy and still, it makes any pen look important.