Page 85 - Christies Asia Week 2015 Chinese Works of Art

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE JAPANESE COLLECTION
2058
AN INSCRIBED DUAN RECTANGULAR INK STONE
DATED BY INSCRIPTION TO THE 56TH YEAR OF QIANLONG, CORRESPONDING TO 1791

The ink stone is carved with two dragons striding amidst scrolling clouds in pursuit of a
faming pearl, which encloses four characters, guxi tianzi (‘seventy-year-old Son of Heaven’),
all above of a recessed grinding surface framed on three sides with a pair of fnely incised
archaistic dragons. The reverse is fnely carved in high relief with a luohan seated against a tree
holding a fan. The sides are inscribed with The Heart Sutra, a Qianlong date corresponding to
1791, and chen Dong Gao mu shou jing shu, ‘Respectfully carved by your servant Dong Gao.’
Ink stone 8¡ in. (21.3 cm.) long, jade-inset hongmu box

$20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

Acquired from Mayuyama & Co., Tokyo, 1960s, and thence by descent within the family.

Dong Gao (1740-1818) was the son of Dong Bangda (1699-1769) and took his jinshi degree in 1763.
A noted and high-ranking government offcial, he served the Qianlong and Jiaqing Emperors for
more than four decades. He held numerous illustrious posts and supervised the compilation of several
imperial histories and anthologies. The emperors also prized Dong Gao’s calligraphy and paintings,
many of which are included in the Palace collection.

清乾隆五十六年(1791) 端石刻「般若波羅蜜心經」硯

(base)

(inscriptions)