A TORTOISE-SHAPED POTTERY INK STONE HAN – TANG DYNASTY

naturalistically modelled as a tortoise standing foursquare, her head sharply turned to the left, her back hollowed to form the inkwell, the buff-coloured ware finely speckled with a fine gold mist

Mostra d'Arte Cinese, Palazzo Ducale, Venice, 1954, cat. no. 298.

This type of figures is usually broken and repaired. In the present case, the body and legs of the tortoise are original and have been broken off and reattached with some touch ups. There are also shallow nicks and chips to the extremities, notably the tail and right front foot of the tortoise, as well as the upper section of the right back foot. There are traces of a gold mist, possibly later added prior to the exhibition in Venice in 1954.
"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."

Tortoise-shaped ink stones appear to have been in use in China for many centuries, probably from the Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 220) onwards, and are known both with and without cover, in stone and in pottery. Tortoises were revered particularly on account of their longevity. Examples of the present type are generally attributed to the Tang dynasty (618-907) or slightly earlier. A similar pottery ink stone excavated at Xiaobaizhuang, Licheng county, near Jinan in Shandong province and attributed to the Tang dynasty is illustrated in Shandong wenwu jinghua [Gems of cultural relics from Shandong], Beijing, 1996, pl. 211. Three other ceramic tortoise-shaped ink stones attributed to the Six Dynasties (220-589) or Tang dynasty are illustrated in Ge Yonglan, ‘Wo shoucang de guixing yan [Tortoise-shaped ink stones in my collection]’, Shoucangjia/Collectors, no. 13, May 1995, pp. 58-9. A stone ink stone of similar type attributed to the Han dynasty is illustrated in Su Qiming, ‘Yan wenhua kaoshu [Exploration of the ink stone culture]’, Lishi wenwu/Bulletin of the National Museum of History, no. 108, July 2002, p. 8.