Page 82 - Sotheby's Speelman Collection Oct. 3, 2018

3419

A BAMBOO ‘SCROLLING 清乾隆 竹鏤雕靈芝紋墨床

CLOUD’ INKSTICK REST 《乾隆戊申》、《王起》款
MARK AND PERIOD OF

QIANLONG, DATED WUSHEN
YEAR (IN ACCORDANCE WITH

1788)

of rectangular form, deftly carved in openwork as ruyi-shaped
cloud swirls resting on four small ruyi-shaped scroll feet, the
underside incised with a four-character reign mark reading
Qianlong wushen above a seal mark reading Wang Qi, the
bamboo patinated to a warm honey-brown tone
9.7 cm, 3¾ in.

HK$ 300,000-400,000
US$ 38,300-51,000

Inkstick rests fashioned in bamboo are extremely rare and dwell high in the sky. While the cloud motif is well known from
even more unusual are those bearing an imperial cyclical date decoration found on decorative arts, especially ceramics, to
and a seal mark as seen on this example. The inscription reads see it in a three dimensional form is very unusual. Inkstick
Qianlong wushen which corresponds to 1788 of the Qianlong rests were part of the paraphernalia found on the scholar’s
reign, and the seal reads Wang Qi which may be a reference desk in his studio. A complete set of scholar’s tools made
to the second half of the 18th century carver artist Wang in bamboo veneer, which includes an inkstick rest, is in the
Yi. Wang Yi was a native of Jiading in Jiangsu province, and collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Ji Rexin,
became renowned for his flower carvings, especially orchids. Ming Qing zhuke yishu/The Art of Ming and Qing Bamboo
He was the son of Wang Zhi and the grandson of Wang Zhiyu, Carving, Taipei, 1999, fig. 62.
and had an extensive career, working till the age of seventy, See an unmarked bamboo inkstick rest carved in the round in
when he died.
the form of two clumps of plum blossoms, illustrated in Simon
The present inkstick rest is remarkable for the delicate and Kwan, Ming and Qing Bamboo, Hong Kong, 2000, pl. 63,
highly skilled carving of a simple yet most endearing subject attributed to the early Qing period, together with an inkstick
matter of auspicious ‘wish-granting’ ruyi shaped clouds (ruyi rest carved with a scene depicting the nine elders of Xiang
yun). Clouds in China were also used as a pun for fortune shan, attributed to the late Qing dynasty, pl. 147.
(yun), while they also stand for high rank in office as clouds

Mark

80 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比