Please help about this item

[Zozo94 1]

Hello,

 

I have a present from a chinese student I used to take of in London and she gave me this. 

 

I have just found it in my cupboard and I don’t know what it is.

 

I would like to post more pictures but it is not allowing me to. Any help would be great.

 

thanks 

[abcdefg 4,390]

I think it is probably an inkstone, as used in calligraphy. 砚池 

 

(The picture is too fuzzy to read the writing with full confidence. Perhaps you could try again.)

 

--------------------------------------- 

Looked at it some more with a magnifying glass, and I'll go out on a limb and suggest that it is a Duanyan, a type of high quality inkstone made in Duanxi 端溪 county of Guangdong Province. The Chinese term is 端砚。

 

This is not something I know much about, so maybe others here can help you further. 

 

[Zozo94 1]

Thank you for your reply! 

 

Is is this picture any better 

[Jim 811]

I think the maker says 砚缘斋 in which case it might be carved by this man, 安胜谋, or his assistants as that seems to be what his studio is called: http://paper.dzwww.com/dzrb/content/20150805/Articel28008MT.htm

[abcdefg 4,390]

29 minutes ago, Zozo94 said:

Is is this picture any better 

 

Yes, that's much more clear. Thanks. But I'm afraid we have reached the limit of my knowledge. @Jim has a better answer for you, just above. 

[Zozo94 1]

Thank you for all your help. I can’t use the website unfortunately as it is in Chinese. Any ideas of what to do with it?

[Tomsima 1,257]

It is 端硯, which describes a particular type of stone used to make inkstones for calligraphy (as well as just for decorative purposes). This type of stone is famous for its ability to not absorb liquid on its surface as quickly as other stone. This makes it ideal for grinding 墨條 ink stick onto it's surface with a few drops of water to make ink that you can write with immediately (ie. not for storage in a bottle like western inks)