Hello,
VINTAGE Chinese Imperial Ink Stick/Cake - “Emperor Qianlong” Period (1735-1796)
I have the following item, which I bought back in the early 1980's from a house clearance in the New Forest, and the owners told me that it had been in their family since the 1920's when an uncle who worked as a travelling salesman in Asia brought it back from Hong Kong when he returned to the UK. I liked the unusual material that this was made from, along with the gold gilding writing on the front, and the detailed carving on the back. Most recently, I started to research this item on the internet and this is the information I have to hand:
1. The ink stick/cake has a poem by the Emperor Qianlong inscribed in gold gilding dedicated to one of the four depositories (Complete Library of Four Treasuries) and this ink stick is for Wensu Ge (Origin of Culture Pavilion) and was made around 1782 when the Pavilion was created. The poem is know as "Wensu Ge Poem"
2. The reverse of the ink stick has a detailed picture of the Wensu Ge Pavilion, which is superb.
3. There is a signature to the front bottom left in red which reads: The mark and seal of the family workshop who made this ink cake: Hu Kai-Wen (Approved by Emperor to make Royal Ink items)
4. Both ends of the ink stick have four character marks (see photos) and I believe one of them reads: Made in the Qianlong Period.
5. The written script is probably of Old/Traditional Chinese at the time this was made, as it appears to be a complex level of literature mostly written by scholars.
6. There might be a link of this Ink Stick/Cake to Peng Yuanrui (1731-1803) who was a scholar, and used to share his poems with the Emperor Qianlong who enjoyed his company.
7. There are two very fine hairline cracks (see photos) and two small chips (front top and bottom centre) but the ink stick is still intact, as seen in the photos.
8. Measurements: L 15 x W 1.8 x H 4.9 cms
9. The only other ink sticks/cakes similar to this that I have found on the internet are either in museums (The Palace museum, Beijing) or private collections (The Mary and George Bloch Collection). It appears that they are identical to this one, part of a set of four in different shapes each representing one of the pavilions and boxed and were presented by the emperor Qianlong to the keepers/dignitaries of the pavilions to celebrate the “Four Pavilions” completion.
10. It is likely that a separate set was made for the emperor Qianlong, to keep as a reminder of the achievement of completing The Pavilions which took him a lifetime, and this is one of those pieces and would have come from the Forbidden City at the time.
This is a great piece of Chinese history, to add to anyones collection in respect of their heritage that they are proud of.
Where will you find another like this for sale, that is intact and in excellent condition?
Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me and I look forward to hearing from you.
This item will be packed/shipped to anywhere in the UK at seller cost and will be sent via tracked/signed for peace of mind for all parties.
For international buyers: ANY import duties/taxes must be paid by the Buyer under the country of importation. The packing/shipping costs will be on request depending on which country it will be shipped to, and are for the buyer to PAY.
Antiques.co.uk Ref: QJX86QTT2
- Maker/Artist:
- Hu Kai-Wen (Approved by Emperor to make Royal Ink items)
- Materials:
- Ink stick/cake made of soot and animal glue, plus other plants or minerals.
- Width (cm):
- 1.8
- Height (cm):
- 4.9
- Depth (cm):
- 15
Price: £39,500.00
Please note that this price may NOT include delivery charges which the seller may charge extra for.
