TILE: HAN DYNASTY (206BC-220AD); INKSTONE CONVERSION: QING DYNASTY, 17-18TH CENTURY
LENGTH: 13.8CM
The slightly tapered round inkstone is formed from a Han dynasty fragmentary roof tile and the reverse is carved with a recessed lobed medallion centred with a lozenge surrounded by four almond-shaped petals within another border of petals between circles and further raised roundels along the edge. The oblong inkwell is stained to a warm russet colour and incised on the front with the two characters Sheng Que 勝雀 “Champion Bird” and filled in gold lacquer. There is another inscription on the left which reads Beihai ming 北海銘 “inscribed by Beihai” and is also filled in gold lacquer. The inkwell is covered by an oval-shaped jichimu lid incised with a poem filled in with gold lacquer which reads:
| 溫潤良玉 | The warm lustrous jade of excellent quality |
| 堅緻鍊金 | the metal cast with outstanding sturdiness and fineness |
| 幽賞千古 | appreciating the elegance of these thousand-year old antiquity |
| 文思淵深 | [inspires] deep thoughts of the poetic minds |
The inkstone is enclosed with a layered silk cloth painted with a shrub and lingzhi, further inscribed with calligraphy.
PROVENANCE
An Old Kobe Collection
漢（磗） 清十七/ 十八世紀（改裝成硯
磗式刻銘「勝雀硯」《勝雀》《北海銘》款
