- 2198
A SILVER WIRE-INLAID ZITAN INKSTONE AND COVER MING DYNASTY
Description
Provenance
Condition
"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."
Catalogue Note
The inscription may be translated as follows:
An xiang fu dong yue huang hun.
A hint of fragrance floating in eventide.
The short inscription is an excerpt from a poem written by the Song dynasty poet Lin Biu (697-1028). Lin (zi Junfu and hao Hejing, Hejing Xiansheng), a native of Qiantang (present day Hangzhou) in Zhejiang province, was renowned for his poetry and for being a recluse at Gushan on the West Lake (Xi Hu). He never sought office nor married but delighted in growing plum blossoms and keeping cranes which he referred to as his 'wife' and 'children' respectively. His poems are typically about the hermetic life and the tranquil state of mind. This excerpt is from one of his most famous poems titled Little Plum Blossom of the Garden in the Hills. The inkstone also bears the unrecorded wood carver's signature Xuansu zhi ('made by Xuansu').