Both the flat, round top and the round bowl for holding ink of this small Chinese seal ink box are carved from very light green jade. The circular bowl has a shallow, concave center rimmed with a horizontal lip slightly higher on the exterior third allowing the lid to fit within the bowl, and not slip from side to side. The lid is covered with the image of a bold, high-relief carving of a beige tree with two crossed branches bearing four large green leaves, slightly darker than the light green jade background, and four pieces of orange and red fruit. The tree stands on a black, horizontal amorphous ground upon which a bright green, coiled creature with three short protrusions rests on our left, and a copper-colored coiled bird on our right.
Chinese
Seal-Ink Box,
late 19th century
Jade
,
2.5 x 5.2 cm (1 x 2 1/16 in.)
Object details
Accession number
U19e105.a-b
Primary Creator
Chinese
Full title
Seal-Ink Box
Creation Date
late 19th century
Provenance
Entered Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection at an unknown date.
Dimensions
2.5 x 5.2 cm (1 x 2 1/16 in.)
Display Media
Jade
Web Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.
Permanent Gallery Location
Tapestry Room
Rights and reproductions
The use of images, text, and all other media found on this website is limited. Please review Rights and Reproductions for details.
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.