QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Compare a very similar mother-of-pearl-inlaid black lacquer box and cover containing nine ink cakes of various forms, in the Qing Court Collection in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 49 - The Four Treasures of the Study - Inksticks and Writing Brushes, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 117, no. 100. (Fig.1) The ink cakes in the Palace Museum set are finely molded on one side with scenes from famous paintings of the Yuan, Southern Song, and Ming dynasties, and like the present ink cakes bear gilt-filled imperial inscriptions on the reverse describing the scenes. Of particular note is the fact that the interior of the Palace Museum set is lined in the same yellow brocade silk as the present set, and the interior rim is inlaid in the same fashion with a 'herringbone' design in mother of pearl, suggesting that the two likely came from the same workshop.