Minneapolis Institute of Art

Brushwasher

China

Date

10th century

Medium

Stoneware with moulded decor under green and amber glaze

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

With its shallow oval shape and quatrefoil outline, this tenth century ceramic brushwasher is likely based on a silver vessel. The upright sides are molded in high relief with precious objects flanked by stylized florets with classic scroll borders around the rim and base. The decoration has been picked out in bright green while the background is glazed in amber brown, two of the most common glaze colors in Liao dynasty (907-1125) ceramics. A pair of octafoil brushwashers with the same colors as this vessel and similar moulded décor was excavated in 1977 from a Liao dynasty tomb in Wengniute County, Inner Mongolia. China, Asia

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