A superb and rare Duan inkstone, Northern Song dynasty | 北宋 端石「天硯」

Mayuyama & Co. Ltd, Tokyo.

繭山龍泉堂，東京

Meiken-ten [Masterpieces of Inkstones], Mayuyama & Co., Ltd, Tokyo, 1987, cat. no. 12.

《名硯展》，繭山龍泉堂，東京，1987年，編號12

Soji Kitabatake and Gotei Kitabatake, Kankenroku, Tokyo, 1984, pp. 73-76.

北畠雙耳及北畠五鼎，《観硯録》，東京，1984年，頁73-76

The tradition of making inkstones began in the Northern Song dynasty and has since been highly valued amongst scholars. The most cherished type of Duan inkstone was the purplish-brown variety, typically reserved for the privileged few – scholars, sages and monks. Featuring exquisite use of the natural colours found in the material, they were considered the most prized item in a gentleman's studio, symbolizing refinement and sophistication. They were quarried and carved in Guangdong Province, Suzhou and Beijing.

It is rare to find a Duan inkstone that has been preserved in its natural state. The inkpool gives the impression of being naturally formed through water erosion. Compare a similarly formed Song dynasty inkstone with similar characteristics in the Taipei Palace Museum, illustrated in Cheng Chia-Hua, Ancient Inkstones Illustrated in the Imperial Catalogue, Taipei, 1997, cat. no. 27.