Page 94 - Nov 29 2017 HK Important Chinese Ceramics

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A LACQUERED ZITAN BOX AND AN IMPERIAL The inscription on the ink stone may be translated as, ‘in tranquility, this
INSCRIBED SONGHUA INK STONE ink stone will last many lifetimes’, and the two seals may be translated
KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722) as ‘a great number of things to do but such limited time’.
The top of the rectangular zitan box is decorated with gilt-lacquer It was not until the Kangxi period that the usage of Songhua stone
from modern-day Jilin province became to be highly regarded for its
panel enclosing a pavilion in a mountainous landscape, surrounded qualities in the grinding of ink. From the Kangxi period through the
by linked scrolls carved in relief. The sides are decorated with gilt Qianlong period it was one of the preferred stones used for grinding
floral scrolls framed by carved archaistic squared scrolls, and the ink. A Songhua rectangular ink stone with the same inscription and
sides of the base are similarly decorated. The interior and the base seals to the reverse from the Robert H. Blumenfield Collection, was sold
are decorated with gilt-lacquered flower sprays and leaf scrolls, at Christie’s New York, 25 March 2010, lot 2391.
the base is inscribed ‘Gong Lin’ and stands on four L-shaped feet.
The ink stone is carved with a phoenix in flight and is framed by 清康熙 御銘鳳凰紋松花石硯連金漆紫檀山水圖硯盒
s-scrolls, the stone is of a seafoam green tone. The underside of
the stone is inscribed ‘yijing weiyong shiyi yongnian’ with two seals 硯背凹雕硯銘：「以靜為用，是以永年」
reading ‘tiyuan zhuren’ and ‘wanji yuxia’. 刻款：「體元主人」、「萬幾餘暇」
The stone, 6 º in. (15.6 cm.) long x 4 ¿ in. (10.3 cm.) wide,
cloth bag and Japanese wood box (2)
HK$450,000-600,000 US$58,000-77,000

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