A VERY RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED CHENGNI TIGER-FORM INK STONE AND COVER, ZITAN STAND AND COVER - photo 1
A VERY RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED CHENGNI TIGER-FORM INK STONE AND COVER, ZITAN STAND AND COVER - photo 2
A VERY RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED CHENGNI TIGER-FORM INK STONE AND COVER, ZITAN STAND AND COVER - photo 3
A VERY RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED CHENGNI TIGER-FORM INK STONE AND COVER, ZITAN STAND AND COVER - photo 4
A VERY RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED CHENGNI TIGER-FORM INK STONE AND COVER, ZITAN STAND AND COVER - photo 5
A VERY RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED CHENGNI TIGER-FORM INK STONE AND COVER, ZITAN STAND AND COVER - photo 6

A VERY RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED CHENGNI TIGER-FORM INK STONE AND COVER, ZITAN STAND AND COVER

Sold
HKD 4 410 000
Auction dateClassic
30.05.2023 00:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 963244
Lot 3119 | A VERY RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED CHENGNI TIGER-FORM INK STONE AND COVER, ZITAN STAND AND COVER
A VERY RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED CHENGNI TIGER-FORM INK STONE AND COVER, ZITAN STAND AND COVER

DATED TO THE WUXU YEAR OF THE QIANLONG REIGN, CORRESPONDING TO 1778, AND OF THE PERIOD

The ink stone and cover are moulded as a crouching tiger, the recessed underside of the cover is inscribed with a Qianlong imperial poem dated to the summer of the wuxu year (1778), followed by two seals, bide, ‘comparing to virtue’, langrun, ‘bright and lustrous’, both covered with mottled green and gilt patination. The zitan stand and cover are finely carved overall as a ribbon-tied, brocade-wrapped gift divided into quadrants by the ribbon which is superimposed atop the bow by a rectangular panel carved with the characters hu fu yan, 'crouching tiger inkstone', the quadrants carved with different scenes of birds in flight above waves from which rise various flowers and grasses, the interior of the cover carved and gilt with the same imperial poem followed by the date and two seals, the top of the stand carved with a four-character inscription, Qianlong yuyong, ‘for the personal use of Qianlong’, followed by a four-character seal, ji xia ling chi, 'a brief moment to practice calligraphy'.



A detailed description with illustrations of a Qianlong imperial inscribed chengni ink stone of identical form is

included in the Xiqing Yanpu ‘A Compendium of the Qianlong Emperor’s Imperial Inkstone Collection’, juan 23, pp. 34-37. For other Qianlong imperial inscribed ink stones of this form, see an example in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Emperor Ch’ien-lung’s Grand Cultural Enterprise, Taipei, 2000, p. 113, fig. III-4; one from the J.M. Hu collection, but the ink stone and cover a marriage, sold at Christie’s New York, 15 September 2009, lot 237; one sold at Beijing Poly, 4 June 2010, lot 4146; and one sold at Beijing Poly, 6 June 2015, lot 6535.



The present lot is accompanied by a Japanese wood box with an inscription by Ono Shozan (1880-1952) dated to 1927. Ono Shozan was a prestigious Japanese sinologist and calligrapher of the Meiji and Showa periods, who was well-known for his knowledge of the Four Treasures of the Study. He appraised artworks for and worked with noble families and private collectors.

Zitan box 6 3/8 in. (16.3 cm.) long; inkstone 51/4 in. (13.3 cm.) long, Japanese wood box





Provenance

Fujio Hiroshi (1951-2013), the seventh-generation owner of Gyokurindo, Osaka, thence by descent within the family
Historical era:Qianlong period
Place of origin:China, Eastern Asia, Asia
Category:Inkstone
Auction house category:All other types of objects
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
30.05.2023 – 30.05.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.