Shen Jian De|Discretion, Thrift and Virtue
late 19th–early 20th century
Medium
Black ink
Dimensions
W. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm); L. 4 in. (10.2 cm)
Classification
Ink
Culture & Period
China · late Qing dynasty (1644–1911) or early Republic period (1912–49)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1930
Accession Number
30.76.225
Art Historical Context
Nestled among the treasures of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian collection, *Shen Jian De|Dis, Thrift and Virtue* a delicate black inkstick crafted by Guzhai during the late Qing dynasty (4–1911) or early Republic period (191–49). Measuring just 1 3/8 inches wide 4 inches long, diminutive object exemplifies the refined artistry of China's scholarly traditions. Inksticks like this one were essential components of the "Four Treas of the Study"—brush, ink, paper and inkstone—used by literati to produce calligraphy and paintings. The title, inscribed elegantly on its surface, invokes Confuc...
About the Artist
Jian Guzhai
Jian Guzhai — meaning roughly "Studio for Appreciating the Antique" — was a renowned ink-tablet workshop operated by the Wang Jinsheng family in the Huizhou region of Anhui Province, China, one of the historic centers of fine inkstick production. Active during the late Qing dynasty (1644–1911) and possibly into the early Republic period (1912–49), the workshop was celebrated for producing ink tabl...