Brush with Carved Designs

A slender brush with a carved bamboo handle, its surface densely decorated with relief-carved leaves, branches and tendrils that wind down its length. The pale bristle tip rises from a banded collar at the base, set against a dark, plain background.

Look closer: Fine carved insects and small birds are tucked among the leaves on the lower half of the handle.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1573–1619

Medium

carved bamboo

Source

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Size

1538 × 3400 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Cleveland Museum of Art, Anonymous Gift