Inkstone with Bamboo Design

Inkstone with Bamboo Design

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The green inkstone is carved in the shape of bamboo stem segments and is adorned in low relief with leafy branches rising from behind rocks. The slanted surface of the sunken grinding area displays multiple layers of natural markings within the stone in purple and various shades of green. The wooden box is also carved in the shape of a length of bamboo. The ink slab and its case bear three inscriptions, which offer clues and raise questions about the work's date. An inscription on the underside of the stone and one on the lid of the box, although signed Qinggong Daoren and Nancun, respectively, both have the same seal, Zuo. While these names are unknown from other sources, they probably denote the same person. The stone's inscription is dated to 1370, which is curiously early, considering the good condition of the box. The third inscription, on the upper side of the slab, comprising eight delicate characters executed in regular script, is dated to the summer solstice of the renwu year (1702), signed Wang Shizhen (1634–1711), a preeminent poet of the early Qing period, and is followed by Wang's seal, Yuan. If this inscription is not a genuine ownership mark by Wang Shizhen, it is likely to have been added either during Wang's time or not long after his death. From 1722 onward, because the character zhen in Wang's name also occurred in the personal name of the newly enthroned Yongzheng emperor (r. 1723–35), the characters of Wang's name were replaced by others that have a similar sound. Since here Wang's name was written in its original form, the inscription was probably carved before 1722.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.