Ink Tablet with "The Nine Sons" Design 1871 - 1933

This circular ink tablet with "The Nine Sons" design was made by Wen Ya Guo, but when, we're not exactly sure. Look closely at the surface of this piece, see all those cracks? It gives the tablet a sense of history, like a well-loved object with stories to tell. The design itself is so playful. A group of kids are depicted at play under trees, seemingly frozen in time as their joy is rendered in solid form. It is easy to imagine the artist carefully carving each figure and leaf, and the texture created by their hand is clearly visible. You can almost feel the weight of the tool in their hand, the precision of their cuts. These are not perfectly smooth surfaces; they have a certain roughness, an honesty that really speaks to the process of making. It reminds me a bit of woodblock prints. Both embrace the mark of the hand, and both leave room for interpretation. It's like the artist is saying, "Here's what I see, but what do you see?" And that's what art is all about, isn't it?