Chinese scholar's brush pots, also known as brush holders, are decorative containers used to hold writing brushes. They have a long history in Chinese art and culture, dating back to the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD).

The earliest brush pots were made of jade or other precious materials, and were typically used by members of the imperial court or wealthy scholars. During the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD), brush pots became more widely used by scholars and artists, and were often made of porcelain, lacquer, or wood.

In the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the art of brush pot making reached its peak, with many elaborate and ornate examples being produced. These brush pots were often decorated with intricate designs, including landscapes, figures, and calligraphy.

During the Qing dynasty (1644-1912 AD), brush pots continued to be produced, but the style became more restrained and refined. Qing dynasty brush more...

46 items found:

These items have been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.

A Chinese carved zitan / hardwood brush pot, 20th century,…

A Chinese carved zitan / hardwood brush pot, 20th century, carved with a continuous scene of scholars and mythical animals in a landscape with pavilions. 12.5 cm high, 10 cm diameter, condition: no visible faults or damage

Chinese hardwood brush pot, possibly zitan (similar to…

Chinese hardwood brush pot, possibly zitan (similar to rosewood), in the form of a tree trunk with burrs. Height 17 cm

A rare Chinese inscribed burl zitan brushpot or scroll pot,…

Chinese Zitan Brushpot with Goddess of the Luo Inscription

A rare Chinese inscribed burl zitan brushpot or scroll pot, Republic period (1912-1949), of gently flaring cylindrical form, carved from a solid piece of burl zitan, with incised decoration to one side of the goddess of the Luo walking on foamy waves,…

A exceptional finely carved Chinese zitan brush washer,…

Chinese Zitan Brush Washer with Huanghuali Stand

A exceptional finely carved Chinese zitan brush washer, Qianlong period (1735-1796) the zitan washer is well carved with lingzhi fungus, scrolls and bats, on carved huanghuali stand 18 13 cm long, 10 cm wide, 2 cm high. Provenance: Knapton Rasti fine Art,…

A dense blackwood brushpot, possibly zitan wood, carved as the…

Gnarled Peach Tree Brushpot

A dense blackwood brushpot, possibly zitan wood, carved as the gnarled trunk of an old peach tree. Height 16 cm.

A zitan brushpot Qing dynasty of cylindrical form, the wood…

Zitan Brushpot: Qing Cylindrical with Patina

A zitan brushpot Qing dynasty of cylindrical form, the wood with attractive grain and patina 18.2 cm diameter

A relief carved zitan brush pot cylindrical with a scalloped…

Lotus Relief Carved Zitan Brush Pot

A relief carved zitan brush pot cylindrical with a scalloped rim and continuously decorated with lotus flowers and buds, height 15 cm, diameter 12.5 cm

A carved zitan brush pot, decorated in relief with a continuous…

Lotus Relief Zitan Brush Pot

A carved zitan brush pot, decorated in relief with a continuous frieze of lotus flowers and seed heads, height 14 cm diameter 11.5 cm

Good Chinese carved Zitan brush pot carved dragon decoration,…

Carved Zitan Brush Pot with Dragon Decoration

Good Chinese carved Zitan brush pot carved dragon decoration, height 23 cm, diameter 20 cm

Zitan Chinese brush pot in fluted curved shape, with a dark…

Zitan Fluted Chinese Brush Pot, 12.5cm Height

Zitan Chinese brush pot in fluted curved shape, with a dark grain. Condition: good, no apparent splits, cracks height 12.5 cm

A large zitan brush pot Bitong, Qing dynasty, of plain…

Qing Dynasty Zitan Brush Pot

A large zitan brush pot Bitong, Qing dynasty, of plain cylindrical form. 20.5 cm high.

A carved possibly zitan brush pot with figure and pine trees,…

Zitan Brush Pot with Figure and Pine Trees

A carved possibly zitan brush pot with figure and pine trees, height 18.8 cm

A Chinese zitan brush pot, people's Republic era, second half…

Zitan Brush Pot: Gnarled Tree Branch Design (8 words)

A Chinese zitan brush pot, people's Republic era, second half 20th century, the near black timber brush pot fashioned as a gnarled and knotted tree branch, height 18.5 cm

A Chinese zitan brushpot, well carved in relief and depicting…

Lotus Garden Zitan Brushpot

A Chinese zitan brushpot, well carved in relief and depicting lotus and a water garden. Height 15 cm

A zitan brushpot. Height 13.5 cm

Zitan Brushpot: Elegant and Compact

A zitan brushpot. Height 13.5 cm

A fine carved white jade 'lotus leaf' brush washer, 'Bixi',…

White Jade Lotus Leaf Brush Washer

A fine carved white jade 'lotus leaf' brush washer, 'Bixi', early Qing Dynasty, 17 th/ 18 th century, the stem acting as a handle, the vessel supported on a bed of small leaves and tendrils, the veins in the leaves exquisitely carved, the exterior with…

A cylindrical brushpot, Bitong, late Qing dynasty with raised…

Late Qing Dynasty Cylindrical Zitan Brushpot

A cylindrical brushpot, Bitong, late Qing dynasty with raised bands encircling the mouth and base, raised on three shallow strap feet, probably of zitan, 15.5 cm high

A Chinese zitan brush pot the dark grained wood with markings.…

Chinese Zitan Brush Pot with Markings

A Chinese zitan brush pot the dark grained wood with markings. Height 10.5 cm

A zitan wood brush pot, Bitong, 19th/20th century, the…

Zitan Brush Pot, 19th/20th Century

A zitan wood brush pot, Bitong, 19th/20th century, the cylindrical body relying on the slight concave and bull hair grain of the wood. Height 8.5 cm

Antique Chinese zitan brush pot slightly waisted cylindrical…

Chinese Zitan Brush Pot with Cow Hair Grain

Antique Chinese zitan brush pot slightly waisted cylindrical form. Supported on three short bracket feet with clear cow hair grain measures: 12.5 cm diameter, 13.2 cm high

A fine carved white jade 'lotus leaf' brush washer, 'Bixi',…

Carved White Jade Lotus Leaf Brush Washer

A fine carved white jade 'lotus leaf' brush washer, 'Bixi', early Qing Dynasty, 17th /18th century, the stem acting as a handle, the vessel supported on a bed of small leaves and tendrils, the veins in the leaves exquisitely carved, the exterior with…

Chinese zitan hexagonal brush pot small-leaf zitan wood and…

Small-leaf Zitan Brush Pot with Bull Hair Grain

Chinese zitan hexagonal brush pot small-leaf zitan wood and with beautiful bull hair grain, measures 14.6 cm

A Chinese zitan brush pot, the slightly tapering pot in typical…

Zitan Brush Pot with Ringed Rim and Base

A Chinese zitan brush pot, the slightly tapering pot in typical dark timber unembellished but for a ringed and flattened rim and a ringed base. Height 13 cm. Diameter 11 cm

A zitan and ivory brushpot, 19th/20th century of irregular…

Zitan and Ivory Brushpot with Sage and Boys Inlay

A zitan and ivory brushpot, 19th/20th century of irregular cylindrical form, the straight sides inlaid in ivory with a sage carrying a boy on his shoulders and a boy attendant at his side, beside rocks and with a bat and clouds above, the reverse carved…

A zitan brush pot, fashioned as a tree trunk with pits, hollows,…

Zitan Brush Pot with Naturalistic Cicadas

A zitan brush pot, fashioned as a tree trunk with pits, hollows, with small carved and pierced growths of pine and bamboo and two naturalistic cicadas, the wood in dark chocolate with blonde tones. Height 20 cm

Small Zitan square brush pot nicely shaped in a square barrel…

Zitan Square Brush Pot - 12.5 cm

Small Zitan square brush pot nicely shaped in a square barrel form, measures12.5 cm high.

Zitan brush pot in slightly waisted cylindrical and with…

Zitan Brush Pot with Bull Hair Grain - 12.8cm

Zitan brush pot in slightly waisted cylindrical and with beautiful bull hair grain, measures 12.8 cm high

A Chinese carved hardwood brush pot, possibly zitan wood.…

Chinese Zitan Wood Brush Pot

A Chinese carved hardwood brush pot, possibly zitan wood. Height 13 cm. Diameter 13 cm

A carved zitan brushpot, of slender form, the exterior…

Zitan Brushpot with Battle Scene

A carved zitan brushpot, of slender form, the exterior decorated in low relief with a battle scene of mounted warriors outside a walled gateway in a continuous mountain landscape, wood cover and base. 17.5 cm high

A Chinese jadeite washer, late Qing/Republic period, early 20th…

Chinese Jadeite Peach and Citron Washer with Zitan Stand

A Chinese jadeite washer, late Qing/Republic period, early 20th century, in the form of a peach and a finger citron, supported on a fitted zitan stand, 13 cm wide. Provenance: From a private Melbourne collection purchased in Hong Kong in the 1960's

A Chinese zitan brush pot. Utilising the natural contours and…

Zitan Brush Pot with Carved Elder Scholars in Landscape

A Chinese zitan brush pot. Utilising the natural contours and modulations of the timber, well carved in relief to one face with six elders or scholars in a rocky pine tree landscape; signed in seal and with characters to the lower base. Height diameter 14…

A Chinese zitan brush pot. Utilising the natural contours and…

Zitan Brush Pot with Jovial Male Figure

A Chinese zitan brush pot. Utilising the natural contours and modulations of the timber, well carved in high relief to one face with a jovial bald male figure embracing the trunk with a dog of fo at his feet; signed with characters and dated 1978 within a…

A Chinese zitan brush pot, a single turned piece of pleasing…

Zitan Brush Pot with Concave Sides

A Chinese zitan brush pot, a single turned piece of pleasing plain form with slightly concave sides. Height 11 cm

A carved zitan flower-form brushpot, Bitong, the steep sides…

Zitan Flower Brushpot with Magnolia Relief Carvings

A carved zitan flower-form brushpot, Bitong, the steep sides carved as overlapping upright petals rising to the lipped rim, springing from a branch coiled to form the base, and with further stems bearing magnolia flowers and leaves carved in deep and…

A rare Chinese zitan wood brush pot, with poem and various…

Chinese Zitan Wood Brush Pot with Carvings

A rare Chinese zitan wood brush pot, with poem and various characters carved to exterior. Height 19 cm. Depth 18.5 cm

A Chinese zitan brush pot, of unadorned near cylindrical form…

Zitan Brush Pot with Removable Base

A Chinese zitan brush pot, of unadorned near cylindrical form to show the fine grain of the timber and having a removable circular piece in the base. Height 21.5 cm. Diameter 20 cm

Chinese zitan timber brush pot, 14 cm high

Chinese Zitan Timber Brush Pot, 14cm Height

Chinese zitan timber brush pot, 14 cm high

A Chinese zitan brush pot, late Qing Dynasty (late 19th/early…

Zitan Brush Pot with Chilongs

A Chinese zitan brush pot, late Qing Dynasty (late 19th/early 20th century), the small shaped oval pot with an irregular inverted rim with pierced and carved chilongs clambering up the sides. Height 6 cm. Length 10.5 cm. Width 6 cm

Chinese zitan wood carved brushpot, the rim carved with…

Zitan Wood Lotus Brushpot

Chinese zitan wood carved brushpot, the rim carved with overlapping petals, the sides carved in relief with lotus plants, fruits and flowers. Height 15 cm

A large Chinese zitan brushpot, circa1970s, the cylindrical pot…

Chinese zitan brushpot with relief scenes and script

A large Chinese zitan brushpot, circa1970s, the cylindrical pot decorated to panels with low relief scenes of wise old men with notable figures and phoenix and dragon, interspersed with vertical banners with script proclaiming both long life and happiness…

Large Chinese carved zitan brush pot approx 19 cm high. Carved…

Chinese Zitan Carved Brush Pot with Figures

Large Chinese carved zitan brush pot approx 19 cm high. Carved with figures

A Chinese zitan wood brush pot, one side carved as a…

Zitan Brush Pot with Naturalistic Carvings

A Chinese zitan wood brush pot, one side carved as a naturalistic tree-trunk with branch scars, the other side with a deeply carved scene of a mendicant reclining on a rocky outcrop in a wooded glade above waves crashing upon rocks. Weight 2650gms. Height…

A carved zitan flower-form brushpot Qing Dynasty the steep…

Zitan Flower Brushpot with Magnolia Relief Carvings

A carved zitan flower-form brushpot Qing Dynasty the steep sides carved as overlapping upright petals rising to the lipped rim, the exterior decorated in deep relief with branches of flowering magnolia growing over the sides from rockwork encircling the…

Chinese carved Zitan brush washer. Melons and vine decoration…

Zitan Brush Washer with Melon and Vine Decoration

Chinese carved Zitan brush washer. Melons and vine decoration Depth 9 cm

A Chinese zitan octagonal brushpot, the lobed cylindrical…

Chinese Zitan Octagonal Brushpot with Removable Stopper

A Chinese zitan octagonal brushpot, the lobed cylindrical brushpot of simple form, a removable circular bung stopper fitted to the base, 14 cm high

Zitan brushpot featuring elders playing mahjong. Height 25 cm

Elderly Mahjong Players on Zitan Brushpot

Zitan brushpot featuring elders playing mahjong. Height 25 cm