大清咸丰年制”青花楷书底款龙凤呈祥笔筒

“A Qing dynasty Xianfeng period blue and white porcelain brush pot, standing 11 centimeters tall with an approximate diameter of 12 centimeters. The bottom bears a kaishu (regular script) mark ‘大清咸丰年制’. It features Ming-style green painted chasing pearl dragon patterns and multicolored phoenix patterns, with dragons and phoenixes facing each other, pursuing the flaming pearl. Surrounding them are multicolored auspicious clouds. Near the base, there are variant blue and white lotus patterns, and a band of blue and white brocade patterns near the rim. The porcelain is thin and delicate, with a lustrous glaze. The blue and white color is a light blue with a slight gray tint, characteristic of the period. The Xianfeng era, lasting only 11 years, was marked by internal strife and external threats, representing one of the weakest periods of the Qing dynasty. The Imperial Kiln in Jingdezhen was destroyed in the fifth year of Xianfeng by the Taiping Rebellion, and porcelain production almost completely halted, making official kiln pieces from this period extremely rare. This brush pot is an especially valuable piece from this turbulent time.”