Brush pot

This is a cylindrical brush pot. The exterior is primarily inscribed with floral sprays (such as peonies and chrysanthemums) and two lines of a poem. The peony, known as fu gui hua (the flower of wealth and rank), conveys a wish for official rank in the emperor's civil service as well as a salary and perquisites to ensure wealth. The chrysanthemum is a symbol of autumn and of fortitude; it blossoms in the fall despite "the onslaught of frost and icy winds." It is also known as the hermit of flowers because of its association with Tao Qian (style name yuanming), a fourth-century poet-recluse who resigned his official post and retired to his small farm to write poetry. A number of his poems are about the chrysanthemum. Carved on both sides of this brush pot, the two lines of the poem read: "jing shi qie dan gao shi wai, qing xian bu su shi shen xian." Their translation goes, "those who live in a quiet place and pursue a simple life rather than wealth and fame are beyond a man of noble characters; those who live a leisurely but not vulgar life are immortals." On the side that contains the second line of the poem, a signature in red and running script is written near the base of this piece. It reads 'zi ge', probably zi or hao (style name) of the artist who inscribed this poem.There is a red signature in running script near the base reading 'zi ge', probably zi or hao (style name) of the artist who inscribed an poem on this piece