QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Details

AN IMPERIAL MOULDED AND CARVED INKSTONE-SHAPED OCTAGONAL INK CAKE
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)
The octagonal ink cake is carved on top with an undecorated central 'grinding surface’ encircled with a narrow water trough, all within a border finely carved and gilt with four carps and three mythical beasts amidst waves. The reverse is inscribed and gilt with an imperial poem followed by four characters reading Qianlong yuming and two seals reading bide, 'comparing to virtue’, and langrun, 'bright and lustrous’. The sides are inscribed with fang tang baleng chengni yan, 'imitating the octagonal inkstone of the Tang dynasty', and chen Zhengrui gong jin, 'respectfully presented by your humble servant, Zhengrui'.
3 7/8 in. (10 cm.) diam.

Provenance

Clare Lawrence, New York, March 1999, by repute
Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Marco Almeida (安偉達) SVP, Senior International Specialist, Head of Department & Head of Private Sales

malmeida@christies.com +852 2978 6735

Lot Essay

Chengni inkstones are ceramic inkstones made of refined clay; it was considered the best inkstone material during Tang dynasty. The present lot is inspired by such, and the imperial poem on this ink cake is recorded in Qing Gaozong yuzhi shiwen quanji: yuzhiwen, vol. 2, juan 39 (fig. 1). Compare to a similar imperial octagonal inkstone inscribed with a different poem but with same seals recorded in Xiqing Yanpu, included in The National Palace Museum's Ancient Inkstones Illustrated in the Imperial Catalogue Hsi-ch'ing yen-p'u, Taipei, 1997, pp. 414-415, no. 91. Another example of a Qianlong inscribed She inkstone was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3625.

More from Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art

View All