Amethyst Quartz Brush Washer
George Gough Booth purchased this brush washer from the Japanese Pavilion at the 1915 Panama-Pacific World’s Fair in San Francisco. The object itself was probably originally imported into Japan from China or carved in Japan in emulation of Chinese examples. Fine carvings in amethyst such as this brush washer were produced in China throughout the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) for domestic use and export.
The small vessel, intended to hold clean water for a calligrapher or painter to rinse their brush, is also a work of art in its own right. Its polished, asymmetrical form is carved with a wraparound design of leaves and crowned with a bat, symbolizing good fortune. It is supported by a simple five-lobed teakwood stand of Chinese origin.
Mariam Hale
2023-2025 Collections Fellow
Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research
March 2024
Width: 2 5/8 in (6.6 cm)
Depth: 2 in (5.1 cm)
Height of stand: 5/8 in (1.5 cm)
Width of stand: 2 13/16 in (7.1 cm)
Depth of stand: 2 3/4 in (7 cm)
ProvenanceGeorge Gough Booth and Ellen Scripps Booth (1915-1949)
Cranbrook Foundation (1949-1973)
Cranbrook Educational Community (1973-present)
Credit LineCranbrook Center for Collections and Research
Cultural Properties Collection, Founders Collection
Bequest of George Gough Booth and Ellen Scripps Booth through the Cranbrook Foundation
Medium | MaterialsAmethyst quartz, teakwood
InscribedLabel on bottom: 22338
Label inside: 2338
Stand marked: Made in China / 4351
GenreObject TypeBrush washers
Alternate Title(s)
- Carved Purple Quartz Candleholder on Teakwood Stand
