id: 121906 accession number: 1942.215.10 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1942.215.10 updated: 2023-09-21 17:30:32.837000 Ink Stick from an Imperially Commissioned Set of Ink Stick with Images and Poems of Famous West Lake Sites, 1780–94. China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong reign (1736–95). Molded ink in black; overall: 3.9 x 3.9 cm (1 9/16 x 1 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Henry W. Kent 1942.215.10 title: Ink Stick from an Imperially Commissioned Set of Ink Stick with Images and Poems of Famous West Lake Sites title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: 1780–94 creation date earliest: 1780 creation date latest: 1794 current location: creditline: Gift of Henry W. Kent copyright: --- culture: China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong reign (1736–95) technique: Molded ink in black department: Chinese Art collection: China - Qing Dynasty type: Miscellaneous find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: Overall: 3.9 x 3.9 cm (1 9/16 x 1 9/16 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: inscription: 御製南屏晚鍾庚子。 幾暇搜冥對硯屏, 霜鐘送響一聲聲, 鬢霜已改十年貌, 醒耳清音卒未更。 translation: remark: inscription: 乾隆年製 translation: remark: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: History of The Chinese Book opening date: 1967-04-01T05:00:00 History of The Chinese Book. The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (organizer) (April 1-May 15, 1967). title: Power and Possession: Chinese Calligraphy and Inscribed Objects – Chinese Gallery Rotation 240a, 241c opening date: 2018-08-13T04:00:00 Power and Possession: Chinese Calligraphy and Inscribed Objects – Chinese Gallery Rotation 240a, 241c. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (August 13, 2018-February 3, 2019). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS --- PROVENANCE Henry W. Kent [1866–1948], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art date: ?–1942 footnotes: citations: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH date: 1942– footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: The design is Jingci Temple, a Buddhist temple beside West Lake in Hangzhou, China. digital description: wall description: This is one of ten ink cakes of different shapes and colors stored in an exquisite lacquer box. Each is inscribed in gold with a poem by the Qianlong emperor, praising the ten famous sights of the Westlake in Hangzhou, near Shanghai. The Westlake is famous for its natural beauty; it was a favorite imperial destination and remains a tourist attraction today.

Ink cakes (also called ink sticks) are dissolved with the addition of water and ground on the surface of a flat stone into liquid ink for painting and calligraphy. The precious ink cakes here, however, have never been used. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS Wang Chi-chien. "Notes on Chinese Ink." Metropolitan Museum Studies, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Dec., 1930), pp. 114-133 page number: Reproduced: pp. 114-133, fig. 14 url: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1522772 Hollis, Howard. "A Gift of Chinese Inks." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art Vol. 33, No. 1 (Jan., 1946), pp. 3-5, 11. page number: Mentioned: pp. 3-5, 11 url: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25141247 --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1942.215.10/1942.215.10_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1942.215.10/1942.215.10_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1942.215.10/1942.215.10_full.tif