Brush Holder (Fude-zutsu)
Unknown Artist
1850–1920
Medium
Cast iron with relief inlay in silver, gold and shibuichi
Dimensions
H. 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm); Diam. of rim 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm); Diam. of foot 4 in. (10.2 cm)
Classification
Metalwork
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
Accession Number
91.1.617
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant brush holder, or fude-zutsu, was created in Japan during the Meiji period (1868–1912), a time when traditional crafts flourished alongside rapid modernization. Produced between 1850 and 1920, the piece reflects the era’s emphasis on refined metalwork for the scholar’s desk, where calligraphy tools were both practical and objects of beauty. Its compact form—standing just under seven inches tall—would have held brushes upright, keeping them ready for use in daily writing or artistic practice. Crafted from cast iron with intricate relief inlays of silver, gold, and shibuichi (a copp...