Ming Dynasty, Early 15th Century
Length: 19.5cm
Weight: 1578 grams
The bronze inkstone is of tapered rectangular form with rounded corners and decorated with dense swirling ruyi-shaped cloud patterns in high relief framing a smooth sunken palette and an ovoid-shaped water well. The borders of the clouds form a shallow footrim flanking a flat base. The surface of the inkstone is covered in a thick layer of gilding with natural wear to the interior of the palette and water wells, revealing a thin layer of rose-gold and the natural bronze colour of the inkstone.
Similar Example
The cloud design is strongly reminiscent of lacquer examples of the
early 15th century. See for example an early 15th century dragon box
and cover with a similar voluptuous ruyi-shaped outlined cloud
design in the Palace Museum collection, dated to the Yongle reign
with a Xuande mark is published in The Complete Collection of
Treasures of the Palace Museum Volume 45: Lacquer Wares of the Yuan
and Ming Dynasties 故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集45：元明漆器, Hong Kong,
2006, pp. 68-69, Catalogue No. 47.
Ming dynasty Imperial inkstones are very rare indeed and no
comparable example can be found in the historic court collection in
Beijing and Taipei.
PROVENANCE
A Japanese Private Collection
| 明早期 銅鎏金雲紋硯台 |
