Square Black Lacquer Brush Holder Inlaid with Enamel Plaques Depicting Western Figures and Poems

This brush holder has a wooden core, a square mouth with cut corners, straight sides, and four feet. The entire surface is coated with black lacquer, and each of its four sides is inlaid with two painted enamel plaques – an oval one above and a rectangular one below – alternating between depictions of Western women and Chinese five-character poems.
Combining lacquer work with painted enamel craftsmanship, this piece demonstrates remarkable refinement. The depicted Western women have serene expressions and are rendered with delicate, lifelike brushstrokes, likely painted by court artists skilled in Western techniques or possibly imported directly from the West.