A SIGNED SQUARE DUAN INKSTONE

THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN

Details

A SIGNED SQUARE DUAN INKSTONE
18TH CENTURY

The thick, purplish-brown stone carved in low relief on the rim with the character for well, jing, the simple criss-crossing lines of the character forming the border above the channel surrounding the square grinding surface, the slightly irregular or rough outer edges, corners, sides and base softly polished, the base carved in seal script (zhuan shu) with a poem and the seal of the carver, Huang Ren, three of the sides also with inscriptions and seals, the longest of these by Lin Ji
6in. (15.2cm.) square, zitan box with lacquered interior

Lot Essay

Huang Ren (1683-1768) was famous during his lifetime for the carving and collecting of inkstones. The inscriptions on the inkstone play on the word for well (jing)
Lin Ji (1660-until after 1720) was most likely the first or one of the earliest owners of this inkstone