Imperially Commissioned Set of Ink Sticks with Images and Poems of Famous West Lake Sites

御製西湖名勝圖詩硃錠

1780–94
Average: 3.9 x 8.3 cm (1 9/16 x 3 1/4 in.)
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The inscription in mother-of-pearl inlay on the box’s cover says: Imperially Made Gold Inscribed Poems of Images of [the Ten] Sights of the Westlake.

Description

Each ink stick depicts one of the Ten Scenes of the West Lake on one side, and a corresponding imperial poem on the other, composed on emperor Qianlong’s fifth southern inspection tour in 1780. Notably, the ink sticks’ colors and shapes correspond with the poems’ respective content.

An inscription on one ink stick identifies this set as a gift to the emperor by Jiang Lan, an official from Anhui, a province known for its excellence in ink, paper making, and printing. Imperial records note that 10 more sets of West Lake inks were presented as a tribute by Gioroi Giking (Chinese: Jueluo Jiqing, 1753–1802), a Zhejiang provincial governor and a bannerman (Manchu native).
Imperially Commissioned Set of Ink Sticks with Images and Poems of Famous West Lake Sites

Imperially Commissioned Set of Ink Sticks with Images and Poems of Famous West Lake Sites

1780–94

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong reign (1736–95)

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