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Lot Essay
A native of Suzhou, Gu Erniang's maiden name was recorded as Zao, and she was probably active during the late Kangxi to Yongzheng periods. Married into a distinguished family of ink stone carvers, she became a carver of ink stones herself, probably after the death of her husband. For a discussion of Gu Erniang, see Zhongguo Meishu Jiarenming Cidian, Shanghai, 1985, p. 1531.
Compare to two Duan ink stones signed Gu Erniang in the Palace Museum, Beijing, one rectangular in shape, and incised with a very similar signature to that seen on the present ink stone, see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, The Four Treasures of the Study – Writing Paper and Inkstones, Hong Kong, p. 92, no. 58; the other also in the form of two intertwined lingzhi, but bearing a different character of 'niang' in the signature, see p. 93, no. 59. Compare also to a simulated bamboo-woven ink stone signed Gu Erniang in the later style, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, Inspiring the mind - Life of a scholar-official, 30 November 2020, lot 2839.
Compare to two Duan ink stones signed Gu Erniang in the Palace Museum, Beijing, one rectangular in shape, and incised with a very similar signature to that seen on the present ink stone, see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, The Four Treasures of the Study – Writing Paper and Inkstones, Hong Kong, p. 92, no. 58; the other also in the form of two intertwined lingzhi, but bearing a different character of 'niang' in the signature, see p. 93, no. 59. Compare also to a simulated bamboo-woven ink stone signed Gu Erniang in the later style, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, Inspiring the mind - Life of a scholar-official, 30 November 2020, lot 2839.