Ink Cake

?-1942Henry W. Kent, Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art

Overall: 3.9 x 3.9 公分 (1 9/16 x 1 9/16 英吋)

御製南屏晚鍾庚子。
幾暇搜冥對硯屏，
霜鐘送響一聲聲，
鬢霜已改十年貌，
醒耳清音卒未更。
"The evening bell ringing at Nanping."
Made for the Royal family, dated gengzi year, 1780.

This poem expresses the author's perspective on time. Ten years later, people's hair has turned white, and their appearance has also changed. Only the evening bell on the Nanping Hill echoed day by day. The picture carved on the other side of the inkcake is the temple, Jingci Si 净慈寺, at Nanping Hill in Hangzhou.
乾隆年製
Qianlong nian zhi (Made in the reign of Qianlong)