This double brush pot turns its decoration floral rather than figural, a large flowering plant carved across the front with enough presence to read almost as sculpture rather than surface ornament. The soapstone runs mottled yellow through black, and even the two reservoirs aren't left plain — each incised with its own floral detail, so the decoration carries through to the last inch of the piece.
Soapstone's give under the carver's tool made this level of botanical detail possible without the material fighting back, and pieces like this sat on a scholar's desk doing double duty as both a working object and something worth simply looking at between uses.
Condition notes
Very good antique condition. Small chips along the edge of the base on reverse; minor nicks commensurate with age.
