Brush Pot with a Man

This brush pot, representing the Chinese half-stanza "Dreaming, the brush blossoms into flowers," depicts a reclining man who dreams of becoming a scholar in one register; in the other, his dream is retold inside a "dream bubble." He is shown in a scholar's robe and hat, writing with a brush. On his desk are various writing implements: a brush rest, brush pot with two brushes pointed upwards to dry, an inkstone, and an inkstick. The small stick of solid ink is used by grinding it on the inkstone and adding water. The inkstone, inkstick, brush and paper are the four most important writing implements used by East Asian scholars, painters, and calligraphers.