22 - Pair of scholar's brush holders, China, Qing Dynasty, 19th Century

Pair of scholar's brush holders, China, Qing Dynasty, 19th Century Porcelain with a monochrome caramel glaze. Measures 28.5 x 12 x 12 cm. A pair of rectangular objects, designed as brush holders for a scholar's desk, decorated in low relief on all four sides with a refined resist landscape. The scene depicts deer beneath twisted pins and a crane in flight, traditional iconography associated with longevity, wisdom, and moral elevation, accompanied by delicately engraved poetic inscriptions. The deep, uniform caramel glaze enhances the reliefs with subtle plays of light, while the balanced composition conveys serenity and harmony. These pieces are part of the Qing Dynasty tradition of study objects, where porcelain became a vehicle for intellectual and aesthetic values, reflecting the Confucian ideal of the cultured and contemplative scholar of the 19th century.