Vintage Antique Chinese Hand-Carved Inkstone with Snake and Turtle Deep Relief

Description

A beautiful vintage / antique inkstone, predominantly black with subtle, yet stunning, blue-green veining.
The inkstone is very smooth and has a sheen to it. It is hand-carved into the shape of a pond with snake and turtle in high relief.
The craftsman has skillfully, and with a lot of forethought, positioned the
snake and
turtle so that the eyes end up blue-green and contain blue-green streaks in their bodies. The inside edge of the pond is lined with blue-green and as is the one side of the turtle's shell.
There are 2 desirable 'eyes'. On this inkstone the 'eye' has a gold-brown centre ringed by blue-green.
There are 3 water or ink reservoirs, one of which is in the centre of the coiled snake. The deepest reservoir is the one at the edge of the pond. The tail end of the snake has an open area for liquid to flow underneath it to the other side of the snake.
Both turtle and snake seem to be smiling.
In order to see the stone to its full advantage with all its nuances very bright light recommended! If not sufficiently illuminated the carving details and gorgeous coloring may be difficult to see.
I could not find a signature.
Size: 8-1/2” long x 6-1/2” wide x 2” high
Turtle is 3" x 2" (including legs) x 1/2" deep
Snake is 4-1/2" x 1-1/4" x 1/2" deep
Eyes: One eye is 1/2" in diameter, the other is 5/16" in diameter.
Weight:  Heavy. 5 lb 7.6 oz
Good condition with wear consistent with age and use. There are two chips - one on the snake and one at the very edge of the round reservoir (side of pond) as shown. There are also a few light scuffs on the snake as shown. There are no cracks oe repairs. The 'eyes' have some wear as shown.
Selling as is. Please look through all photos carefully as they are an important part of the description.
Feel free to contact Quail and Bear with questions or for more photos.
Inkstone: An inkstone is a stone mortar for the grinding and containment of ink. For serious calligraphers and painters, a good inkstone is as important as the quality of the ink. The inkstone, together with brush, ink stick and Xuan paper, is considered one of the “Four Treasures of the Study" of a calligraphy or painting scholar. Traditional East Asian ink is solidified into inksticks. Usually, some water is applied onto the inkstone before the bottom end of the inkstick is placed on the grinding surface and then gradually ground to produce the ink. Water can be stored in a water-holding cavity on the inkstone itself, as was the case for many Song Dynasty (960–1279) inkstones. The water-holding cavity or water reservoir in time became an ink reservoir on later inkstones. – Wikipedia
Eyes: An ‘eye’ is a natural inclusion that exists in the form of concentric circles. The value of an inkstone depends on the number and quality of the ‘eyes’. Its desirability is determined by the quantity of ‘eyes’ present, their roundness, size, and colour intensity of the concentric circles. An ‘eye’ that resembles a crested myna is the rarest and receives the highest praise. – Christies
Snake: In Chinese mythology the snake symbolizes intelligence, happiness and auspiciousness. The snake appears in some of China's oldest myths. The snake changed into the dragon, which then became one of the most enduring symbols of Chinese mythology and culture.
Turtle: One of the animals that has endured longest on earth, in Chinese mythology the turtle symbolizes wisdom, endurance, wealth and long life. In Taoism, the turtle shell symbolizes Heaven, and its flat underside the Earth.
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