Ming dynasty, first half of the 16th century
The slightly rounded sides are incised on the turquoise-blue ground with aubergine lotus scrolls and blossoms glazed in cream. The top is glazed in dark violet-blue and has three circular and one rectangular aperture encircling a turquoise central raised disc with a small circular hole.
The base is partly glazed in a yellowish colour.
Diameter 13 cm
Drum-shaped brush- and inkstick holders were produced in China during a rather short period, and generally dated to the first half of the 16th century, although blue and white examples from the Wanli period (1573-1620) are known.
They usually have three or four circular and one rectangular openings at the top for holding brushes and an inkstick.
A similar fahua example incised with a four-character Ming mark, from the Percival David collection, is in the Victoria & Albert Museum (C 58-1935).
Another example, but missing the central domed disc, from the Sam Marsh collection, is illustrated in his latest publication, together with other drum-shaped brush receptacles, in 'Brushpots, A Collector's View', Hong Kong 2020 (see image 9).
The use of these brush- and inkstick receptacles becomes clear as there exists a painting of the famous philosopher Wang Yangming (1472-1529) seated at his writing desk. On the desk we can see, amongst others, a similar vessel, the circular holes holding three brushes with tips upwards (see images 5-6). It is assumed that the rectangular opening is meant to hold an inkstick. (See G. Tsang and H. Moss, 'Arts from the Scholar's Studio', Hong Kong. 1986, pp. 226-227).
It is very rare to find similar shapes made of materials other than porcelain, such as the gilt bronze example from our collection (see images 7-9), which probably predate the Ming porcelain ones.
PF 49 明 珍罕法華彩鼓式筆墨插
明朝，十六世紀上半
腹部微鼓，孔雀藍釉地上刻劃繾綣的茄皮紫蔓草蓮花紋，花瓣施以米白釉。頂部施靛藍釉，設有三圓孔與一方孔，環繞著中央隆起的孔雀藍圓形插孔。
器底局部施黃釉。
直徑 13 公分
倫敦大維德基金會（Percival David Collection）曾藏有一件類似的法華器，器身刻有明代四字款，現存於維多利亞與阿爾伯特博物館（Victoria & Albert Museum，館藏編號 C 58-1935）。
另一件出自墨一閑（Sam Marsh）的珍藏，其中心隆起的插孔已失，該器與其他鼓式筆插一同收錄於其最新著作: Brushpots, A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020 (見圖9)
