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Lot Essay
The palette is delicately modelled as a leaf with incised veins on the interior and moulded veins on the reverse. A moulded insect is applied to the interior under a rusty-brown glaze, the surface of the leaf is covered overall in a pale celadon glaze.
The ink palette, which belongs to one of the many scholar’s objects made for the scholar’s table, was used to brush off excessive ink before writing or painting on paper. Many of them are in the form of a leaf, as its elegant shape appeals greatly to the scholarly taste of the elite.
The beetle has been regarded as an auspicious motif in traditional Chinese scholar's objects. Since the character jia occupies the first position in the heavenly stems, it gradually acquired symbolic meanings of 'supremacy' and 'first place'. Among Qing dynasty literati, this motif became deeply intertwined with imperial examination culture- the use of beetles reflected their aspirations for top rank in the examinations and the ideal of attaining both official success and prosperity.
Historical records from the Qing court’s list indicate that from the 9th to the 24th year of the Qianlong reign, several leaf-form ink palettes were sent to the court. For example, on the 30th day of the 4th month in the 9th year, a yangcai leaf-form ink palette with a wood stand was presented to Qianlong, indicating the popularity of such type of scholar's object during his reign.
Compare with a Qianlong yangcai leaf-form palette in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo wenfang sibaoquanji, Wenfang qinggong, vol.4, Beijing, 2008, pl.189 (fig. 1). Another celadon-glazed leaf-form palette was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2307, the interior is incised with a cicada.
The ink palette, which belongs to one of the many scholar’s objects made for the scholar’s table, was used to brush off excessive ink before writing or painting on paper. Many of them are in the form of a leaf, as its elegant shape appeals greatly to the scholarly taste of the elite.
The beetle has been regarded as an auspicious motif in traditional Chinese scholar's objects. Since the character jia occupies the first position in the heavenly stems, it gradually acquired symbolic meanings of 'supremacy' and 'first place'. Among Qing dynasty literati, this motif became deeply intertwined with imperial examination culture- the use of beetles reflected their aspirations for top rank in the examinations and the ideal of attaining both official success and prosperity.
Historical records from the Qing court’s list indicate that from the 9th to the 24th year of the Qianlong reign, several leaf-form ink palettes were sent to the court. For example, on the 30th day of the 4th month in the 9th year, a yangcai leaf-form ink palette with a wood stand was presented to Qianlong, indicating the popularity of such type of scholar's object during his reign.
Compare with a Qianlong yangcai leaf-form palette in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo wenfang sibaoquanji, Wenfang qinggong, vol.4, Beijing, 2008, pl.189 (fig. 1). Another celadon-glazed leaf-form palette was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2307, the interior is incised with a cicada.