Lot Essay

The base is carved with a seal reading Xiaojingtang cang, ‘Collection of Hall of Filial Piety’, with a two-character signature Ruqi on the side. Ruqi is the pseudonym of early-Qing scholar Xie Shiji, who is known for his poetry, calligraphy and carving inscriptions on seals and Duan inkstones . Works by Xie Ruqi can be found in the collections of the Shanghai Museum and Tianjin Museum. It has been recorded that there were books published under the name Xiaojingtang during the Kangxi period, although its identity is unknown.