A SONGHUA STONE ‘BAT AND LINGZHI’ BRUSHWASHER, FIRST HALF OF THE QING DYNASTY
China, late 17th - 18th century. Supported on three stout legs, the deep sides rising to a foliate rim, naturalistically carved in high relief with bats flying amid large lingzhi sprigs. The stone of a grayish-green color transmuting to ocher-yellow, tinged with russet. The natural inclusions and shadings of the mineral cleverly utilized by the lapidary to enhance the design.


Provenance
: French trade.

Condition
: Good condition with expected old wear, distinct signs of weathering and erosion, minuscule nicks here and there, light scratches.

Weight: 2,072 g
Dimensions: Length 19 cm, Width 14 cm, Height 7.3 cm


Expert’s note
: Qing dynasty emperors often had their inkstones and related objects, such as brush washers, made of Songhua stones. Outside the palace, the design of literati items developed largely in parallel with imperial design. Gu Erniang was the most famous inkstone-maker among Chinese scholars in the early Qing dynasty. Records indicate her inkstones were elegant and relatively simple, as was the preferred style at the time. However, by the later Qing dynasty, the inkstone market had turned to favoring highly intricate designs.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 November 2011, lot 452
Price: HKD 187,500 or approx.
EUR 31,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large songhua libation cup, mid-Qing dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related color of the stone, the natural inclusions and shadings similarly utilized by the lapidary, albeit with a different design. Note the related size (20.2 cm).




清代上半葉《蝙蝠如意》松花石筆洗

中國，十七世紀末至十八世紀。葉狀邊緣，三足，自然隨形浮雕蝙蝠飛舞與如意雲中。灰綠色的硯石逐漸變赭黃色，略帶黃褐色。巧妙地利用石料的天然紋理和色調來增強設計。硯石質碧潤，造型大方典雅，刷絲紋理勻淨縝密，雕工自然流暢。


來源：
法國古玩交易。

品相：
狀況良好，有磨損、明顯的風化和侵蝕跡象、多處微小的刻痕、輕微的劃痕。

重量：2,072 克
尺寸：長 19 厘米, 寬 14 厘米, 高7.3 厘米


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：香港邦翰斯，2011年11月28日，lot 452
價格：HKD 187,500（相當於今日
EUR 31,000
）
描述：清中期松花石雕奠杯
專家評論：比較相近的石色，工匠同樣使用的天然內沁和陰影作雕刻，但不同的設計。請注意相近的尺寸 (20.2厘米)。