Inkstone with Fitted Box, early 19th century, Lu T'ung, Chinese, active late 18th -early 19th century, 1 3/8 x 4 13/16 in. (3.5 x 12.22 cm), Red and black lacquer with engraved-gold decoration and sand lacquer inkstone, China, 19th century, One of the more unusual uses of lacquer during Ming and Qing was the production of inkstones. This circular stone has the right texture and porosity to make a good grinding utensil yet it is lighter and easier to carry than a stone or ceramic version. The circular cover of the fitted box is decorated with the 'filled-in and engraved-gold' technique (tianqi). It displays ginkgo leaves, longan berries, cherries, and lychee on top with a more formal lotus scroll motif decorating its side register. All of these auspicious plants are outlined in gold and the general style can be seen as a revival of the Wanli period (1573-1619). The bottom of the base bears the mark of Lu Tong, a late eighteenth-early nineteenth-century lacquer artist.