LARGE DUAN INK STONE PRODUCED BY THE WELL KNOWN INKSTONE ARTISAN MUO YONGZHONG IN ZHAOQING China. Engraving in bas-relief with a scholar go to visit your friend by boat conception, and highlights the fine shape of the stones and engraving skills. Inkstone is the most important one of the "four treasures in study".Ever since there was paper and Chinese ink writing there was inkstone as well. The earliest existing reference dated to five thousand years ago. The ordinary use of inkstone is to help the ink stick to rub on the stone to make the ink for writing and painting. Each stone is unique. There are various distinctive stone markings, due to various rock materials imbedded in the stone, these minerals creat different colors and textures of stone. But every stone has a smooth, satin sheen and you can feel the polished surface when you touch it. According to existing records, people started making Duan ink stones in the Tang Dynasty. It has a fabricated flow, it protects the brush, and it almost never freezes, even when placed in low temperatures. Measure: Height 2.76 ", Width 11.42 ",Length 14.57 ",Weight almost 50 lb. Domestic shipping (48 states) : $259.95. Condition Report Buyer Pays Shipping Cost, Metropolitan Auction help customer pack and ship only some of items based on recommend packing fee and shipping cost.Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact.Metropolitan Auction shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. The absence of any reference to condition or the reference to particular defects of any lot does not imply the absence of imperfections effects of aging or other defects. All clients are responsible for reviewing and accepting the Terms of Sale prior to bidding. All measurements are approximate. All items sold as is. Metropolitan Auction is not responsible for damage to any items once items have been turned over to shipping company. All costs associated with shipping are the responsibility of buyer.It is our recommendation that all lots be examined in person by prospective bidders or by a trusted expert they have asked to advise on the purchase.