Carved Green Jade and Rosewood Inkwell

Chinese carved green jade and rosewood inkwell made for Yamanaka with sterling silver mounts by Lebkuecher & Co. Elegantly carved solid green jade inkwell fashioned as a flared cup with reticulated handles carved as lingzhi and blossoming flowers, symbols of longevity. The inkwell has a carved rosewood lid with green jade finial, sterling silver mounts, attached to hand carved reticulated rosewood stand fashioned as ryui (sceptor) heads.

It is marked with Lebkuecher & Co. hallmark and “Yamanaka Sterling 04502-3” underneath. Lebkuecher & Co., Newark, NJ (ca. 1896-1909). Yamanaka & Co. was founded by the preeminent Japanese dealer Yamanaka Sadajirô (1866-1936). During the first decade of the twentieth century, several East Asian businessmen took advantage of the improved western relations with China and set up businesses in America and Europe. Dealers such as Tonying, C. T. Loo and Yamanaka all began to sell Chinese objects, including porcelain and jade, which were sourced in China from various Manchu princes and sold directly to collectors outside China. In addition to having offices in Japan and China, Yamanaka & Co., established branches in New York (1895), Boston (1899), London (1900), Paris (1905), and Chicago (1928).