Inkstone in the Shape of a Roof Tile with Seal Script Characters

This inkstone is particularly noteworthy for its inscriptions in two styles. The base shows four characters in seal script (zhuanshu) expressing auspicious, or favorable wishes, while the characters on the side in standard script (kaishu) record the name of the workshop and that of the collector’s studio. Inkstones were used to grind solid ink cakes with the addition of water to produce liquid ink for brush painting and calligraphy.