Featured Unusual item! Porcelain brush washer and holder?

Any idea what this is? I can only find one other and it was described as an antique brush washer and holder...

 

Not what I'd have thought either. Flower frog would have been my guess.

 

I can see how it could work as a brush washer, which makes me think there is some truth in it being so

 

I am not convinced this is antique. The base looks way to clean and white to have such age. Perhaps it's not really this clean and just looks that way in your photograph?

I doubt this is a brush washer, does it look to have ever been used as such with paint or ink inside? There isn't enough room to hold enough fluid to wash a brush and the wider rim may make it tippy.

IMHO, this looks more like a late 20th century student ceramics piece for a course project to combine wheel throwing with hand-built structure in a clay piece. I think it can definitely be used as a flower frog.

 

not convinced either ( not even remotely ) would go for antidiems theory ,
this in too much fun to wash and how do you hold brushes ?
Charlie I'm curious


just learnt what a flower "frog" is/ was

which I can't imagine either as there is no depth ( daisies ? )

 

Yes that's the problem for either scenario. It just looks like a student project with nice colored glaze on the outside to me.

Is the bottom as CLEAN as it looks, @Louise88 ?

 

c.19th-antique chinese porcelain brush washer & holder
seems like any recipient will do to wash brushes

 

It is pretty clean which is what made me question the eBay listing, but I haven't owned any c.19th-antique chinese porcelain brush washer to compare, just felt like it was a bit more modern. I liked how unusual it was so was a bit suprised to see another one albeit in a different colour.

 

THe back just plain doesn't look old to me either. It might be a new copy of a really old one but the base just looks wrong.

 

Not sure about age either, not saying it's a brush holder too.

But looks like it would be good for cleaning clogged brushes, where the inside edges would almost scrape the paint off the brush

It's a cool looking thing !

 

I suspect it's a studio pottery version.

 

@Matahari , the one you have listed at 264 is the same one shown in OP's photos, and the other 2 are nothing like the first, so that does not achieve more information regarding this "brush washer" thank you but I don't believe this is a brush washer but rather a recent student ceramic piece.