14.8 cm. (5⁷⁄₈ in) and 15.5 cm. (6¹⁄₈ in.) wide

Collection of G. L. Bevan (1869-1936) (according to labels).
With Mallett, London, July 1942 (as recorded in the RHRP ledger).
The Reginald and Lena Palmer Collection, no. 555 (according to labels and as recorded in the RHRP ledger).

The yellow-ground 'prunus and scholar's object' brush rest: The Oriental Ceramic Society, Exhibition of Enamelled Polychrome Porcelain of the Manchu Dynasty. 1644-1912, The Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1951, p. 11, no. 67.

The yellow-ground 'prunus and scholar's object' brush rest: London, The Oriental Ceramic Society, Exhibition of Enamelled Polychrome Porcelain of the Manchu Dynasty. 1644-1912, 23 May-21 July 1951 (with label).

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Lot Essay

Brush rests, also known as brush mountains (bishan), are traditional scholar’s desk accessories used to rest brushes temporarily during the act of writing. As recorded in Zhao Xihu’s Dongtian Qinglu Ji from the Southern Song dynasty, brush rests were crafted in a variety of materials and forms, including black and white jade carved into lofty peaks, bronze cast in the shape of coiled dragons, naturally formed Lingbi stones, and coral branches of graceful and curious beauty. The refined appreciation for brush rests cultivated by the literati of the Song dynasty continued to flourish through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods.
These two famille verte brush rests, made during the Kangxi period, follow the traditional five-peaked mountain form, with the central peak rising prominently and the flanking peaks descending symmetrically in height. The flowing contours linking the peaks, adorned with plum blossoms and scrolling floral motifs, display both elegance and vitality. Placed upon a scholar’s desk, they served not only a functional purpose but also offered aesthetic pleasure, inviting the viewer’s imagination to roam freely among mountains and streams.