Brush Holder Carved From A Coconut. Asia. China, 18th Century.

A brush holder carved from a coconut. Decorated with fish-tailed dragons (makara), pagodas, and carp. The carvings are of fine quality—harmonious, precise, and deeply carved. The dragons are fighting over the sacred pearl, which, unusually, is shaped like an inverted heart. Around the neck, a band pierced with hexagons is chiseled and surprisingly hollowed out, so that it stands out from the background like lace. This is visible only upon close inspection and appears to serve no aesthetic purpose, making this risky technical feat seem unnecessary. However, the play of shadows created by this hollowing-out lends beautiful depth to this reticule, which appears to float, confirming the pot’s excellent quality. A “Shou” character—a symbol of longevity—is carved on the underside. The entire piece is covered in lacquer. Chinese work from the 18th century.
Ancient carvings from this period are exceedingly rare; very few are known to exist. A box preserved at the Palace Museum, reproduced in Volume 44 of the “Palace Museum Complete Collection” on page 88, also features a sacred bead in the shape of an inverted heart.  A brush pot with a nearly identical design was sold by Christie’s London on November 5, 2013, lot 112.
At the end of the 19th century, numerous coconut-shell objects of mediocre quality were produced in China for export, mainly utilitarian items, particularly tea sets.
Part of the upper rim was broken and repaired (see photo).