The Green Cloud Studio 1871 - 1933

This small, oval ink tablet was made by Jian Guzhai. The dragon on the front, along with the inscription, indicates that it commemorates or advertises an ink studio. The dragon as a symbol dates back to ancient China, where it was associated with water and weather, as well as with emperors. Inkstones, inksticks, and ink tablets were essential tools for calligraphy and painting. These art forms were central to the scholarly culture of China, and calligraphy in particular was thought to reveal the character of the artist. The materials used to create the work, such as this ink tablet, were sometimes decorated and collected as works of art in their own right. Objects like this help us to explore the social world of Chinese art. Museum collections, dealer inventories, and books on connoisseurship can give us more information about the makers and consumers of these objects. These resources can help us better understand the cultural values and social conditions that made this ink tablet an object of beauty, worth preserving and collecting.