Hi, I recently acquired some minyao blue and white little bowls pots and what I believe are calligraphy utensils. I have attached some images of each item and would welcome any comments. This one I believe to be a small brush holder or maybe inkwell. I think it might be Ming as the blue is darker and some of the designs hark from early Ming pieces. It also displays some evidence of iron spots in the glaze. THe unglazed foot seems right as well.
Regards,
Gerry
It is a brush holder and washer.
The Chinese had no inkwells in the western sense. The rubbed the ink on a slab, adding water with a dropper and the deepest area of the slab would hold the ink. This was removed after use.
This is early 19th century, judging by the bit of decoration visible in the pictures. The decoration started to be widely used in the Jiaqing/Daoguang reigns thru the late Qing dynasty.
Thanks Peter, funnily enough I've just found it's twin online claiming to be Jiaqing. I guess if you know where to look in the haystack, you might find the needle.
Thanks again.
Gerry