QIANLONG MOULDED SIX-CHARACTER MARKS AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)

It is very rare to find complete sets of Imperial inkcakes together with their original fitted box. The current set probably belongs to one of four sets that were commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor. Compare, for example, the set of 48 inkcakes which include the 12 examples featured here, in the Taipei National Palace Museum (故文000903N00000000) collection. The Taipei Palace Museum also has a set of 25 coloured inkcakes of the same design in its original box, illustrated in Wenfang Juying, Kyoto, 1993, no. 67, p. 98. An identical set of inkcakes with its original box was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 19 January 1988, lot 546. Compare also the set of five Imperial inkcakes commemorating the Imperial Libraries, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 May 2019, lot 3012.