A finely modelled Chinese, Song Dynasty, square ceramic brick, displaying a scene depicting the daily life in a household rendered in high-relief. The scene features a mother, seated and nursing her infant child, next to her elder child who is studying by a desk. In front of the desk is a small animal. The scene is set within a florid frame, which was a common motif in Buddhist art that was derived from the Indian chaitya arch. The reverse and sides are unadorned. The piece has been repaired and displays a diagonal crack across the middle. N.B. Heavy shipping applies. The Song Dynasty ruled China during one of its most brilliant and sophisticated cultural epochs, marking a high point for innovation in economy, science, engineering, and warfare. The Dynasty saw the introduction of the first banknotes and the first recorded chemical formula for gunpowder, as well as large-scale experimental architecture and a new intellectual interest in the arts. Measurements: approximately H 25.2cm x W 22.3cm x D 3.7cm Provenance: Acquired 1970s-1990s. Hong Kong collection. Ex West Country collection, UK.