Page 56 - 2021 March 15th Fine Chinese Paintings and Works of Art, Bonhams NYC New York

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTION PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTION

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A DUAN ‘MELON-FORM’ INKSTONE IN ZITAN BOX AND COVER AN UNUSUAL MYTHICAL DRAGON-FISH FU-SHOU INKSTONE
Mid Qing Dynasty, probably 18th Century Qing Dynasty
The elegant small inkstone of dark brown tone and delicately carved The dragon-headed fish cut from a stone of pale greenish white tone
in low relief as a natural melon form, the reverse with leafy foliage and and with an aubergine-purple seam revealed at its center as a mottled
vine-like tendrils extending from a branch at one end, the melon circular patch, perhaps suggestive of a moon, sun or flaming pearl on
lobed and flattened, the main face with a continuation of the design the ink stone surface, the horned beast clearly delineated in soft relief
at one end with a beetle and an area of rotting fruit-flesh cleverly and engraved with a scaly body and bearded neck; with a Japanese
carved as the water/ink receptacle, the melon-form zitan box more wood box.
simply carved. 6 1/2in (16.5cm) across
3 1/2in (8.9cm) across, excluding the box
$2,500 - 3,500
$2,500 - 3,500
清 龍魚形硯
清中期 紫檀盒瓜形端硯
For an earlier Ming inkstone carved as a fish but using a similar
For a very similar purple Duan inkstone and fitted wood box dated technique of utilizing the strata within the stone, see Tianjin Shi Yishu
to the Qing dynasty see, Tianjin Shi Yishu Bowuguan cang yan (Ink Bowuguan cang yan (Ink Stones in the Tianjin Municipal Museum),
Stones in the Tianjin Municipal Museum), Cultural Relics Bureau, 1979, Cultural Relics Bureau, 1979, no. 27.
no. 74
See Christie’s New York, 17 March 2016, lot 1338 for another ink
For a slightly earlier melon-form duan inkstone from the Kangxi period stone of the same material but carved with a peach and bat.
(1662-1722) see The Four Treasures of the Study - Writing Paper
and Inkstones, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace
Museum, Vol. 48, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 101, no. 64.

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