Celadon-Glazed Stoneware Double Inkstone

China, late Ming or early Qing dynasty, 17th century

Rare celadon-glazed stoneware double inkstone, of rectangular form, constructed from slabs and resting on four corner supports with medial projections. The top is highly structured, with two large rectangular grinding surfaces placed side by side, each preceded by a small, lobed, raised reservoir. The sides are adorned with light molded or incised motifs. The celadon glaze, of a pale grey-green hue, is thin, slightly satin, punctuated by small ferruginous impurities, and marked by firing variations.

The object belongs to the world of scholar's accoutrements. The presence of two juxtaposed grinding surfaces makes this piece original, as I have not found an exact parallel in the accessible corpora. The general typology of celadon inkstones, however, is well attested in China, particularly in the tradition of Longquan celadons, which makes this attribution particularly plausible.

The rarity of this inkstone thus lies in the combination of several qualities: an uncommon construction, an unusual double form, and a beautiful quality of celadon glaze on an object from the scholar's world.

Dimensions: to be completed.