QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)

Details

A ‘RED-VEINED’ STONE VASE-SHAPED INKSTONE
QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)
The inkstone is carved in the shape of a flattened baluster vase finely incised with archaistic dragons and flanked by a pair of elephant-form handles, enclosing the smoothly polished ink well. The centre of the recessed underside is carved and gilt with a four-character Qianlong reign mark in seal script.
4 ½ in. (11.5 cm.) long, hongmu box and cover

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory, tortoiseshell and crocodile. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Brought to you by

Marco Almeida (安偉達) SVP, Senior International Specialist, Head of Department & Head of Private Sales

malmeida@christies.com +852 2978 6735

Lot Essay

The ‘red-veined’ stone is native to Shandong, and has been used as a material for carving inkstones since the Tang dynasty. Compare with a ‘red-veined’ inkstone with similar texture and colour incised with a Qianlong imperial poem praising its quality in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in The National Palace Museum’s Ancient Inkstones Illustrated in the Imperial Catalogue His-ch’ing yen-p’u, Taipei, 1997, p. 382-383, no. 83.

The box and cover accompanying this lot is made of a type of Dalbergia wood which is subject to CITES export/import restrictions since 2 January 2017. This item can only be shipped to addresses within Hong Kong or collected from our Hong Kong saleroom and office unless a CITES re-export permit is granted. Please contact the department for further information.

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