SONG DYNASTY (AD 960-1279)

Details

A SHE SIZHIYANG RECTANGULAR INKSTONE
SONG DYNASTY (AD 960-1279)
The dark grey stone is carved with flat sides enclosing a sloping and slightly domed platform for grinding the ink, which descends to a deep water well at the closed end. The opposite end is open and the underside is cut away. The smooth surface is lightly scratched with indecipherable characters on three sides.
6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm.) long, cloth box

Provenance

J. J. Lally & Co., New York, no. 1377.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Margaret Gristina (葛曼琪) Senior Specialist, VP

asianartny@christies.com +1 212 636 2180

Lot Essay

An inkstone with four straight sides (sizhiyang) is illustrated by S. Kwan in Chinese Inkstones, Hong Kong, 2005, pp. 146-147, no. 34, where the author explains the other term commonly used to describe this form of inkstone is chaoshou, which may be a shortened phrase of chaoxie zhi shou or “copyist’s stone.” (pp. 50-61)

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