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Brush holder with the story of Pan An

18th century
Not on view
The young women on the balcony of this wonderfully carved brush holder throw fruit to an attractive young man passing beneath them. He is most likely the extraordinarily handsome scholar Pan An (247–300), who often drew such attention. The cart pulled by a white goat, however, refers to another young man, Wei Jie (286–312), who was also known for his good looks but was not associated with fruit. The artist seems to have freely combined the tales of both men into a composite scene. Such images are often found in various decorative arts from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 清 象牙雕擲果盈車圖筆筒
  • Title: Brush holder with the story of Pan An
  • Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
  • Date: 18th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Ivory
  • Dimensions: H. 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm); Diam. of rim: 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm); Diam. of base: 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm)
  • Classification: Ivories
  • Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015
  • Object Number: 2015.500.6.10
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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Brush holder with the story of Pan An - China - Qing dynasty (1644–1911) - The Metropolitan Museum of Art