Weiner Mihályné szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 8. (Budapest, 1965)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM — MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Polonyi, Péter: „Keng Chih T'u" ink cake set („Illustration of Husbandry and Weaving") from the Chien-lung period

with the figures of the ink cakes illustrating the work phases corresponding to them and at the same time also their forms differ from each other. The size of the ink cake belonging to the Husbandry" series is 5,8 cm, 2,6 cm, 0,9 cm and that of the ink cake beloging to the ,,Weaving" series: 6,7 cm, 3,3 cm, 0,95 cm. As from the two ink cakes we are not able to conclude the order of the full series, in respect of these the derivation after 1739 cannot be regarded as proved. Insofar as the classification of Yü Fei-an

16 ranging the „Keng Chih T'u" ink series into the Kanghsi inks is not erroneous, originated under the effect of the Kang-hsi's ,,Keng Chih T'u" woodcut series or under the effect of the Kang-hsi emperor's preface of the ink series, — then these two ink cakes might have belonged to the series, made in the Kang-hsi period. This seems to be supported also by the fact, that the chappiness, tint and execution of the ink cakes owned by Mrs. Sándor Pataki — considering even the unfavourable storing circumstancies — reveal an earlier origin than that of the museum set. The bluish-black tint of the two ink cakes in contrast with the rather reddish-black tint of the ink set points — according to traditional appreciation — to the better quality of the former. Mrs. Sándor Pataki's ink cakes a strongly mat surface, whereas the ink set belonging to our Museum is of bringhter surface, which proves that in making the latter the gluey binding material was used on a larger scale. For lack of more copious literary sources on the ink cakes, however, we could not manage to utilize the aforementioned facts for a more accurate dating. Anyway even apart from the concrete dating, we may lay down as a fact that the figure of the two ink cakes constitutes a transition between the Chiao Ping-chen's woodcut illustration and the ink set possessed by our Museum. We can see this particularly well in the case of the 22-nd piece of the ,,weaving" series, where the single ink cake, not only by its relative breadth, but also by the greater number of characters, by the more exact concordance of the illustrated scenes and objects stands nearer to the woodcut, than the more condensing and simplifying museum variant, the origin of which from Chiao Ping-chen is also incontestable. This link in the chain makes more likely that the ,,Keng Chih T'u" ink set owned by the Museum has directly, without interpolation of painting variants, developed from the woodcut series. Wang Wei-kao, indicated as maker on the side of the first ink cake comes of the famous ink making dynasty, domiciled in Chihsi, situated in the southern corner of the Province Anhui.

17 His father, Wang Chin-sheng

18 is one of the four most famous masters —Tsao Su-kung, Wang Chin-sheng, Hu Kaiwen, Wang Chieh-an — of the Ching period. The scene of their activity is this woody, mountainous region, that has been, already from the Tang period onwards, one of the centres of the Chinese ink cake and ink slab making, where the frequently competing ink cake making communities: Hsihsien Hsiuning and Chihsi can be found in close neighbourhood of each other.

19 Wang Chin-sheng's son, named Wang Tse-chao had been invited to the imperial court, where he became inspector of ink cake making.

20 Since on the set 16 Yü Fei-an: Op. cit. p. 30. 17 Gulik, E. H. van: Chinese pictorial art. Roma, 1958. p. 365. " Chung Kuo Jen Ming Ta Tz'u Tien, Shanghai, 1933. p. 477. " Yin Jun-sheng: Man T'an Ku Mo. Wen Wu 1957/1 pp. 29-34. so Chung Kuo Jen Ming Ta Tz'u Tien, Shanghai, 1933. p. 477. 11 Iparművészeti 161