A rare large 'Lanting Xu' duanstone inkstone Northern Song Dynasty

of oval shape in light beige colour, the smooth grinding surface on the top decorated to one side with lightly incised lines depicting the fabled pavilion beside a flowing stream from where Wang Xizhi wrote his celebrated Lanting Preface, the stream hollowed out from the stone connected by bridges, the gently sloping underside carved in relief with Wang's beloved geese frolicking in the waters outside the pavilion, the sides incised in low relief with a continuous scene of the Lanting Gathering, the overall surface patina worn smooth from use

A Private Japanese Collection.

The surface is naturally worn and the decoration has been rubbed in areas. There are old minor chips along the edges, scratches to the surface and pitting to the stone. But the overall condition of the inkstone is very good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Inkstones of the Song dynasty are extremely rare and those carved with pictorial scenes are even rarer. Among the very few existing examples see two pieces attributed to the Song period, similarly carved with a continuous figural landscape depicting the scholars of the Lanting (Orchid Pavilion) gathering included in the exhibition Chugoku no meigen, Gotoh Art Museum, Tokyo, 1977, cat.nos. 8 and 6, the former later sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 10th April 2006, lot 1700.  These early examples possibly inspired later, Ming dynasty, inkstones with the same Lanting motif. See three inkstones included in the exhibition The Quintessential Purple Stone: Duan Inkstones Throught the Ages, The Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1991, cat. nos. 19-21.

The scene on the exterior depicts Wang Xizhi at the famous Lanting (Orchid Pavilion) gathering near Shanyin, Zhejiang province, to celebrate the Spring Purifying Ceremony in the ninth year of the Yonghe reign (353 A.D.). Including Wang, who is depicted seated at a table composing poetry, forty-two guests were invited to participate in a joyous poetry competition, which condemned them to drink wine if they failed to come up with a poem.  The scene on the inkstone depicts the wine cups floating down the stream on lotus leaves. To the compilation of the poems composed on the occasion, Wang wrote a preface, Lanting xu, reflecting his feelings about life and death. Wang considered it his finest work, and to this day, it is seen as the best example of xingshu (running script) calligraphy, making Wang the 'father of calligraphers' in Chinese history and a fitting subject for a scholars' object.