Antique Chinese Qing Period Blue & White Porcelain Brush Pot 4.5"W

China, late Qing dynasty (circa late 19th century)
Dimensions: 4.5″W × 3.75″H × 3.25″D (11.4 × 9.5 × 8.3 cm)

This antique Chinese porcelain brush pot is cylindrical in form and decorated in underglaze cobalt blue on a soft white ground. The vessel features a continuous hand-painted landscape scene with scholar’s dwellings, distant hills, trees, and a solitary figure, rendered in a fluid, painterly style typical of literati-inspired wares.

The imagery reflects the long-standing Chinese tradition of shanshui (山水) landscape painting, emphasizing harmony between human presence and the natural world. Calligraphic inscriptions appear integrated into the composition, enhancing the scholarly character of the piece and reinforcing its association with the cultured pursuits of writing, painting, and study.

Brush pots of this type were essential furnishings on the scholar’s desk, used to store calligraphy brushes upright while also serving as objects of quiet contemplation. During the late Qing period, such wares often combined functional utility with expressive, freely brushed decoration rather than strict symmetry or precision.

The softly pooled cobalt, visible brushwork, and gently worn glaze suggest hand production rather than later factory output, aligning well with late Qing domestic studio wares made for everyday scholarly use rather than export.

Condition: Stable antique condition with expected glaze wear, kiln grit, and interior staining from use. No cracks or restorations observed.

A refined and authentic scholar’s object, well suited for collectors of Chinese ceramics, literati art, or as an evocative accent piece for a desk or study display.