This Longquan brush washer, from Yuan Dynasty (12th–14th century), bears the serene, rounded form and jade-like glaze that define Longquan celadon wares. Traditionally used by scholars for washing ink brushes during calligraphy or painting, its low, dish-shaped profile and inward-curving rim express the quiet utility and elegance prized in the scholar’s studio.
Though once cloaked in a rich, translucent green glaze, this example shows degradation over time—a surface that now appears mottled, matte, and pitted, due to centuries of burial, exposure to moisture, or chemical changes in the glaze matrix. These signs of age, however, only add to its presence, telling a story of centuries passed and continued reverence.
Even in its worn state, the piece retains the hallmark soft lines, refined symmetry, and gentle tactility that made Longquan wares so sought after—both in China and abroad. The aged glaze becomes a kind of patina, a visible testament to the vessel’s enduring life and meditative purpose.
