Ho Ho Boy Water Dropper

This curious object is a late 19th-century Chinese water dropper, a calligraphy accessory that would have been found upon a scholar's painting table alongside the Four Treasures of the Study - the calligraphy brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. To prepare ink for painting or writing, the scholar would have used the dropper to carefully drip water onto an inkstone before grinding a solid ink stick.

This charming example is sculpted of porcelain to the shape of a young boy's face, a common motif for prosperity and abundance. The dropper is finished with a clear glaze marked with subtle crazing and firing imperfections.