A large rectangular ink stick “Huicheng Wang Jinsheng Jianzhi”, China, Qing dynasty, 19th century

in black compressed pigment with gilt inscription “Huicheng Wang Jinsheng Jianzhi” at the center, within a key-fret border and relief cloud pattern ground. Master Wang Jinsheng (active in Huizhou during the second half of the 19th century) was one of the most renowned ink makers of the late Qing period. Descending from the Huizhou tradition and considered among the heirs of the Cao Sugong and Hu Kaiwen workshops, he was celebrated for the high purity of his ink mixture and the refined decoration of his large-format ink sticks.

清 徽城汪近圣监制 墨锭 黑色压制墨锭，正中金漆题铭“徽城汪近圣监制”，地饰云纹，边缘饰回纹。 汪近圣（十九世纪后半叶活跃于徽州）为清末著名徽墨工匠之一，继承曹素功、胡开文等名坊传统，被誉为晚清“徽墨四大家”之一。其制墨讲究选料精良、配方纯净，尤擅雕饰大型陈设墨锭。

lungh cm 23.5