Porcelain Brushwasher

China

11th-12th century

Huazhou type ware Porcelain with molded décor under a clear glaze

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Two small bowls, one white porcelain and one dark metal, are displayed side-by-side on a gray surface. Some of the earliest Chinese white wares were fashioned after contemporary silver utensils. Considered similarly attractive, the lustrous white porcelains of late Tang and Song (960-1279), while more fragile than the gold or silver vessels they emulated, were nevertheless cheaper and easier to maintain. <P>A type of brushwasher popular during Song comprised of a circular bowl with a flat flanged handle of crescent shape is shown here in different materials, gilt silver and porcelain. The metal vessel is extensively engraved with peony and foliate scroll motifs against a stippled ground on its handle and flat base. The porcelain wash