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Lot Essay
The present lot stands as a testament to the Qing court’s reverence for Songhua stone’s natural beauty and its enduring legacy as a medium of imperial grace and cultural refinement. Songhua stone was prized not only for its natural gradation of verdant hues and velvety texture, but also for its geological origin, which was shared with the Manchurian homeland, the ancestral land of the Qing rulers. It was discovered and designated by Emperor Kangxi as the material for imperial ink stones. To ensure a steady supply, the imperial workshop diligently produced Songhua ink stones throughout Kangxi's reign, and the tradition of gifting persisted through the reigns of both Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors.
The inscription on the back of the present ink stone further served as a gentle reminder to the recipient to preserve his well-being, ensuring his longevity. This subtle message was a common feature on imperial Songhua ink stones. The inscription evidently continued into the Qianlong reign. Compare to another Qianlong-marked Songhua ink stone of oval shape with a similar inkwell carved as the sun raising above clouds, inscribed with the same inscription on the back, in the collection of Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, The Four Treasures of the Study- Writing Paper and Inkstones, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 149, no. 99 (fig. 1).
The present box and cover exemplify the celebrated technique of incorporating Songhua stone's natural multitone hues into carved decoration, an artistic tradition also originated during the Kangxi period and flourished throughout the Qing dynasty. Surviving examples of Songhua ink stones with their original boxes and covers are exceedingly rare, with most extant pieces now residing in museums. See a two-tone Songhua ink stone cover and box, similarly decorated with a double-phoenix amidst clouds, where the Songhua ink stone bears the same inscription yet with a Yongzheng mark, in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, collection no.: guwen000300N (fig. 2). Compare also to a Qianlong two-tone Songhua rectangular ink box and cover, decorated with prunus blossom, in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, collection no.: guwen000237N (fig. 3).
The inscription on the back of the present ink stone further served as a gentle reminder to the recipient to preserve his well-being, ensuring his longevity. This subtle message was a common feature on imperial Songhua ink stones. The inscription evidently continued into the Qianlong reign. Compare to another Qianlong-marked Songhua ink stone of oval shape with a similar inkwell carved as the sun raising above clouds, inscribed with the same inscription on the back, in the collection of Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, The Four Treasures of the Study- Writing Paper and Inkstones, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 149, no. 99 (fig. 1).
The present box and cover exemplify the celebrated technique of incorporating Songhua stone's natural multitone hues into carved decoration, an artistic tradition also originated during the Kangxi period and flourished throughout the Qing dynasty. Surviving examples of Songhua ink stones with their original boxes and covers are exceedingly rare, with most extant pieces now residing in museums. See a two-tone Songhua ink stone cover and box, similarly decorated with a double-phoenix amidst clouds, where the Songhua ink stone bears the same inscription yet with a Yongzheng mark, in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, collection no.: guwen000300N (fig. 2). Compare also to a Qianlong two-tone Songhua rectangular ink box and cover, decorated with prunus blossom, in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, collection no.: guwen000237N (fig. 3).