QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-95)

Details

A RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED INKSTONE
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-95)
The rectangular inkstone is carved standing on four tubular feet carved in shallow relief with taotie masks; its grinding surface slightly recessed and surrounded by a moat-like inkwell. It is decorated on the two long sides each with a pair of mythical beasts reserved on leiwen ground, and a single beast on each of the short sides. The double recessed base is carved in the centre with an Imperial poem in cleric script, followed by two seals qian and long. Apart from the grinding surface, it is patinated overall with green and russet lacquer to imitate bronze.
5 1/2 x 3 3/4 in. (14 x 10 cm.), zitan cover and stand

Provenance

Formerly in the collection of Yamada Soshu, who was a calligrapher from Fukui prefecture active in 1950s
Fukui Prefectural Okajima Memorial Museum, Japan

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Lot Essay

Shiqu is the name of the library in the Han palace Weiyanggong. It is allegedly built by Xiao He (257-193BC) and was constructed with a moat around it, in order to facilitate fire-fighting for the vulnerable books. Several inkstones in the Qing court collection in this form, with a moat-like ink well around the grinding surface are called Shiqu inkstones, and are often made to imitate bronze.

Compare a chengni inkstone in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, which is similar in design and carved with the same Qianlong poem (guwen000459N). Compare also two square Shiqu chengni inkstones in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in The Four Treasures of the Study - Writing paper and Inkstones, Hong Kong, 2005, nos. 97 and 98, pp. 146-148.

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