Fu Dog Inkstone Table

This late 19th-early 20th century inkstone from China’s Shanxi region was finely carved by hand from a single piece of stone with two reclining fu dogs serenely facing one another and a decorative well for water. The stone has a smoother texture in areas that were frequently touched. The Fu Dog symbol most likely had special meaning to the scholar who used it—inkstones often had decorations that represented something personal to their owners.