Lot 34
34
A CIRCULAR MOLDED TERRACOTTA ROOF TILE INKSTONE

Details
A CIRCULAR MOLDED TERRACOTTA ROOF TILE INKSTONE
THE ROOF TILE HAN DYNASTY

Originally a roof tile, the plain side converted to an inkstone and carved along one side of the grinding area with rough-hewn rocks, the other side showing the original molded characters, Qian qiu wan sui ('Longevity for one thousand Autumns'), of the Han roof tile end--7in. (17.8cm.) across, jichimu fitted wood box

Lot Essay

It was during the Qianlong period that Han roof tiles began being used as inkstones. For a molded pottery roof tile of this type unearthed from the ruins of Changan, Xian City, Shaanxi province, and a discussion of their use for the construction of eaves in imperial palaces during Han times, see the Catalogue for the exhibition, Treasures from the Han, The Empress Place, Singapore, 1990, p. 49(top)