Ink Stick from an Imperially Commissioned Set of Ink Stick with Images

A square-cornered black ink stick carries a molded relief of a lakeside scene: tiled-roof pavilions among trees, a pine in the foreground, and rippling water at lower right. The raised lines and stippled foliage are cut into the dark ink surface, giving a subtle, sculptural effect.

Look closer: A small roofed structure sits near the rocky shore, partly hidden by foliage.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1780–94

Medium

Molded ink in black

Source

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Size

3400 × 3218 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Henry W. Kent