A THREE-TIER BROWN-LACQUERED INKSTONEBY LU KUISHENG, QING DYNASTY, JIAQING – DAOGUANG PERIOD |

of circular section, comprising three stacked tiers and a cover, each layer applied with brown lacquer on the sides save for top and bottom functioning as an inkstone, the cover carved with a seated scholar playing a qin under bamboo and prunus before a large pierced rock, accompanied by a seal reading Kuisheng, the base lacquered in black centred by a red seal reading Lu Kuisheng zhi (Made by Lu Kuisheng)

Lu Kuisheng (c. 1775-1850), given name Dong, was a lacquer artist active in the Jiaqing and Daoguang period. He was part of an established family of lacquer artists started by his grandfather, Lu Yingzhi. For a discussion of the artist’s work, see Sydney L. Moss, In Scholar's Taste, London, 1983, no. 147, and Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, p. 102. The painterly treatment, resembling liberal brushwork on paper, of the carved decoration on the present piece is reminiscent to that found on an inkstone box and lacquered yixing seal paste box, both by Kuisheng and illustrated ibid., pls 63 and 217.

Each stackable tier of the box is an independent inkstone of circular form. It has been recorded that Lu Kuisheng, continuing his grandfather’s rediscovery of the recipe of Song dynasty sand-lacquer inkstones, created light-weighted inkstones of remarkable quality.

See also embellished lacquer inkstone boxes by Kuisheng, bearing similar red lacquer seal marks on the bases, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 2006, pls 188 and 189. These works, bearing a full seal of the artist, are believed to be collaboration works.

For additional information on Lu Kuisheng, see the note to lot 3508 in this sale.