Period:Qing dynasty (1644–1911) Date:18th–19th century Culture:China Medium:Silk velvet with cut and uncut pile Dimensions:48 1/2 x 48 1/2 in. (123.19 x 123.19 cm) Classification:Textiles-Velvets Credit Line:Bequest of Florance Waterbury, in memory of her father, John I. Waterbury, 1968 Accession Number:68.149.14 A rare example of 15th century Ming bronze work, this brush rest was cast in the form of a sinuous dragon crouching on its four powerful paws with a “flaming pearl” on its arched back. It is further distinguished by two curved horns and a bifurcated tail that coils and unfurls. Its neck, body, and tail all provide places for resting writing brushes. More than a functional object, this brush rest is an imaginative and auspicious sculpture designed to ornament a scholar’s table.
Period:Qing dynasty (1644–1911) Date:18th–19th century Culture:China Medium:Silk velvet with cut and uncut pile Dimensions:48 1/2 x 48 1/2 in. (123.19 x 123.19 cm) Classification:Textiles-Velvets Credit Line:Bequest of Florance Waterbury, in memory of her father, John I. Waterbury, 1968 Accession Number:68.149.14 A rare example of 15th century Ming bronze work, this brush rest was cast in the form of a sinuous dragon crouching on its four powerful paws with a “flaming pearl” on its arched back. It is further distinguished by two curved horns and a bifurcated tail that coils and unfurls. Its neck, body, and tail all provide places for resting writing brushes. More than a functional object, this brush rest is an imaginative and auspicious sculpture designed to ornament a scholar’s table.