清乾隆 金合金鏨卷草文書函式牙籤盒 《乾隆乙卯年製》款 |

Finely cast and dated to the 60th year of Qianlong (corresponding to 1795), this charming gold alloy box epitomises the extraordinary level of creativity characteristic of the late Qianlong period. Modelled in the form of a textile slipcase, it is inspired by an inkstick by Wang Jie’an of the same form and decoration, dated to the 30th year of Qianlong (corresponding to 1765), held in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. The Four Treasures of the Study – Inkstick and Writing Brushes, Hong Kong, 2005, pl. 88. Wang Jie’an was one of the four famous inkstick producers, together with Wang Jinsheng, Cao Sugong and Hu Kaiwen, who later became known as the Four Great Inkmen.

Both the present box and inkstick prototype have been made to resemble an ornately brocaded slipcase with a fastener nonchalantly draped around it. The Qianlong Emperor is famous for his fascination of objects that simulated other materials and this practice was a challenge taken up by craftsmen working in the palace workshops to display the great potential of their craft and to please the Emperor. While porcelain was frequently employed to simulate metal, it is rare to find gold alloy utilised in imitation of other materials.