Page 37 - The Ian and Susan Wilson Collection Schilar's Objects, Christie's, March 2016
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(inscription) 1123 PROVENANCE
AN INSCRIBED AND DATED DUAN INK STONE Christie’s New York, 18 September 1997,
DATED BY INSCRIPTION TO JIAJING RENWU lot 200.
YEAR, CORRESPONDING TO 1522, OR EARLIER
LITERATURE
The inkstone is of dark purplish-brown color
with two small olive-toned “eyes” in the S. Little, Spirit Stones of China, the Ian and
grinding surface which ends in an arched upper Susan Wilson Collection of Chinese Stones,
edge beside the well at one end. One of the Paintings, and Related Scholars’ Objects,
long sides is carved with a lengthy inscription Chicago, 1999, no. 51.
in kaishu indicating the present ink stone was a M. Knight, ‘Scholar’s Objects in the Ian
gift from the Defense Minister Wugong to the and Susan Wilson Collection’, Orientations,
inscriber. The other side has a twelve-character May 1999, p. 51, fg. 5.
inscription, Jiajing renwu nian chun san yue Yang
Yiqing zhi (‘noted by Yang Yiqing on the third Peiyuanxuan was probably the studio name
month of the Spring of the renwu year of Jiajing’) of Yang Yiqing (1454-1530), who had held
followed by a seal reading Peiyuanxuan zhen cang several important posts between the Hongzhi
(treasured by Peiyuan studio). The underside (1488-1505) and Jiajing periods (1522-1566),
is cut with a deep, curved channel from which including the Minister of Interior. Here, Wugong
projects a truncated column, and one of the two may be referring to Wu Wending (1470-1530),
eyes in the underside is highlighted within a the Minister of Defense who served the court
raised medallion. at the same time with Yang. In his inscription,
Yang expressed his gratitude to Wu for his gift
6æ in. (17.1 cm.) long, zitan base and cover and complimented the ink produced with the
present ink stone by comparing it to fne wine.
$8,000-12,000
明嘉靖壬午年或以前 端石楊一清銘硯
35
