Zitan bitong brush pot, China, 18th century Large, cylindrical zitan brush pot on three short feet. The smooth sides slope slightly towards a toric rim, as does the base, with its slightly rounded corners. The carefully polished wood features the purplish hue and fine silver streaks characteristic of zitan. 13.7 x 12.3 cm Provenance : Ben Janssens Gallery, London. Publication: Ben Janssens, In Scholar's Taste catalog, 2016. This well-proportioned pot illustrates the elegance of Chinese scholar's objects. Used to store calligraphy and painting brushes, these vessels are key elements in the furniture of the scholar's studio. Zitan, "purple sandalwood", a slow-growing precious wood, was the most sought-after material for this type of object. Because of its density and the scarcity of large, workable sections, zitan brush pots of this size are uncommon. A comparable 18th-century model, oval in shape and adorned with beaded rims, is in the Vok collection. Another, in jichimu, with square feet and similar rims, is illustrated in Wood from the Scholar's Table: Chinese Hardwood Carvings and Scholar's Articles. References : - Grindley, N. Pure Form: Classical Chinese Furniture - Vok Collection, Munich, 2004, no. 62. - Piccus, R. P. ed. Wood from the Scholar's Table: Chinese Hardwood Carvings and Scholar's Articles, Gulliver Books, Hong Kong, 1984, no. 17.