Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 2

Antique Ming Dynasty Chinese Inkstone

$13,016.58
£9,500
€11,081.24
CA$17,829.46
A$19,830.26
CHF 10,354.74
MX$241,313.13
NOK 132,245.88
SEK 124,023.30
DKK 82,703.53
Shipping
Retrieving quote...
The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation

About the Item

This inkstone is from the Ming dynasty in China, and would have been used to grind hardened 'inksticks' of pigment into paint through a process of rubbing and mixing with water. The inkstone is of rectangular form, and features a circular inkwell within an engraved square to the lower end, which is where the inkstick would be ground and watered. Surrounding the inkwell are engraved multiple inscriptions, a verse from the poem 'Yu Zhu Zi Deng Yan Shan' by Meng Haoran, 'Shi You' meaning 'friend of stones' and the seals of 'Wang An' and 'Xiao Shan Ya Wan' below the well with a mark reading 'Ya Gu Tang.' The inkstone is engraved to the underside with a verse from the poem 'Wen Liu Shi Jiu' by Bai Juyi. The stone is signed by Wu Wenhua (1521-1598) and dated 'The forty-second year of the Jiajing Period, Ming Dynasty,' corresponding to the year 1563.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 12.21 in (31 cm)Width: 7.88 in (20 cm)Depth: 1.58 in (4 cm)
  • Style:
    Chinoiserie (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Stone,Engraved
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1563
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 128221stDibs: LU95639654251

More From This Seller

View All
Antique Chinese Lacquer Gaming Box and Counters
Located in London, GB
Antique Chinese Lacquer Gaming Box and Counters Chinese, late 19th century Height 9.5cm, width 32cm, depth 23cm This beautiful Chinese red lacquer box...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Lacquer

Materials

Mother-of-Pearl, Lacquer

Qianlong period talismanic antique Chinese porcelain plate
Located in London, GB
Qianlong period talismanic antique Chinese porcelain plate Chinese, 18th Century Height 4cm, diameter 21cm Made during the 18th century in Qianlong period China, this fine porcelain plate was made for the export market, in particular the Islamic world, and comes in the form of a talismanic plate with Arabic inscriptions. The centre is decorated with a magic square...
Category

Antique 18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics

Materials

Porcelain

Hardwood and Painted Porcelain Chinese Screen
Located in London, GB
This exquisite Chinese screen is crafted from Hongmu, a dark rosewood from South East Asia. The ornately carved and pierced frame depicts dragons and scrolling foliate shapes. The ce...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Screens and Room Dividers

Materials

Porcelain, Hardwood

Large Patinated Bronze Japanese Koro Incense Burner
Located in London, GB
Large patinated bronze Japanese koro incense burner Japanese, late 19th Century Dimensions: Height 221cm, width 97cm, depth 57cm This monumental koro...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Metalwork

Materials

Bronze

Guangxu Period Antique Chinese Circular Porcelain Bowl
Located in London, GB
Of shaped outline, decorated with exotic birds amongst foliage and scribe's implements within colored enamels, seal mark to base.
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Ceramics

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Ormolu and Cloisonné Enamel Vase for the Islamic Market
Located in London, GB
Chinese Ormolu and Cloisonné enamel vase for the Islamic Market. Chinese, early 20th century Dimensions: Height 18cm, diameter 26cm Crafted in Chin...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Decorative Bowls

Materials

Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu

You May Also Like

Carved Chinese Inkstone with Longevity Symbols and Marks
Located in Atlanta, GA
A black carved Chinese inkstone with an conforming oval cover circa early 20th century (late Qing to Republic period). The inkstone appears to be slate stone and was likely a She type (SheYan), one of the four famous inkstones in China that comes from She County (Anhui Province) and Wuyuan County (Jiangxi Province). It features a slight scalloping edge with elaborate surface carving that depicts the Sanxings (three beloved gods): Fu, God of Fortune (top right), Lu, God of Prosperity (top center holding a Ruyi staff) and Shou, God of Longevity (center on the lid who is holding a magical peach and a staff with a gourd with a deer at the back) . A towering evergreen pine was placed on the left with scrolling clouds and bats (the sound of bat in Chinese is Fu, the fortune). A famous Chinese couplet...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Scholar's Objects

Materials

Stone

Chinese Flora and Fauna Inkstone, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Scholarly pursuits such as painting, calligraphy, and poetry were a highly respected and revered subculture in ancient China, and demanded their own set of tools that were not only f...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects

Materials

Stone

Chinese Handheld Ink Block, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese innovations in ink, block printing and movable type fed the technological push toward expanding the written word's range of influence throughout the world. This printing push...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Historical Memorabilia

Materials

Elm

Chinese Sign of Honor, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
A 19th century northern Chinese sign of honor presented to an esteemed scholar on his 80th birthday. The large characters in the center read (from right...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens

Materials

Elm

A Chinese Carved Inkstone, 18th Century
Located in ARMADALE, VIC
A Chinese Carved Inkstone, 18th Century Provenance: Private Australian Collection Acquired in 1980s. Dimensions: Height: 12.5cm. Width: 28.5cm. Depth: 17.5cm.
Category

Antique 18th Century Chinese Qing Scholar's Objects

Materials

Stone

19th Century Chinese Inkstone
Located in Vosselaar, BE
A 19th century Chinese Inkstone. The upper part decorated with floral lotus motives serving as water basin. The Inkstone was one of the four principal ele...
Category

Antique Early 19th Century Chinese Scholar's Objects

Materials

Stone