Brush and Ink Stick Stand, Ming dynasty, Wanli Period (1573-1620). Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration, 5 15/16 x 4 13/16 inches (15.1 x 12.3 cm). Purchased with funds contributed by John Story Jenks, 1923; 1923-45-1 © 2017 Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The front of this stand holds the relief figure of Gui Xing, an acolyte of the God of Literature who was widely venerated by the Chinese literati. Two scholars and a crane, a symbol of officialdom, are painted on the reverse.