Writing Brush Stand

This is a brush stand used for holding frequently used brushes. It was an essential stationery item that developed alongside brushes. Its most common shape is round, but there are also rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, and flower-shaped stands. There are even those combining several brush stands together. Those stands were made of jade, bamboo, wood, porcelain, and even twisted paper. Wooden stands were carved from quality hardwood such as locust and paulownia wood, or made by joining four to eight wooden plates together. Bamboo brush stands were produced by using the cylindrical shape of bamboo in its natural form and affixing wood to the bottom; attaching bamboo plates into a hexagonal or octagonal shape; or pasting two to five trimmed bamboo branches together. The designs on brush stands mostly included letters, Four Gracious Plants, flowers and birds, landscape, and the Ten Longevity Symbols. The techniques applied also varied: for example, three-dimensional patterns were created through intaglio and relief techniques or openwork; and plain patterns were painted using ink, cobalt pigment, cinnabar, and underglaze iron. In addition, some brush stands were elaborately decorated with ivory, mother-of-pearl, and ox horn. These stands were produced either by carpenters who made furniture such as small tables, cabinets and wardrobes, or personally by the user.