Hand-Carved White Copper Yingui (Seal Guide / Seal Square) Paperweight

Description

Hand-Carved White Copper Yingui (Seal Guide / Seal Square) Paperweight

Inscription:
Virtue Stands High, Its Voice Travels Far
A Single Cry That Astonishes

Category:
Scholar’s Studio Object

Subcategory:
Yingui / Yinju (Seal Guide / Seal Square), Paperweight

Material:
White Copper

Craftsmanship:
Hand engraving, incised line carving

Form:
Irregular half-moon shaped structure, cast in a single piece

Dimensions:
See Additional information

Weight:
See Additional information

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Form and Decorative Motifs

This Yingui is crafted from white copper and shaped into an irregular half-moon form, balancing visual interest with functional stability. The surface is meticulously hand-engraved with a cicada perched among branches, rendered in restrained, rhythmic lines that reflect the aesthetics of traditional scholar’s objects.

In Chinese cultural symbolism, the cicada represents purity, elevation, and a voice that carries far without striving. These qualities resonate closely with the engraved inscriptions, reinforcing the object’s moral and literary undertones.

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Interpretation of the Inscriptions

• “Virtue Stands High, Its Voice Travels Far”
  Suggests that true merit and integrity naturally command recognition, without the need for display.

• “A Single Cry That Astonishes”
  Refers to latent strength revealed at the decisive moment — a metaphor for accumulated cultivation and sudden distinction.

Together, the inscriptions convey both restraint and aspiration, aligning the object with the ideals of the classical literati tradition.

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On the Yingui / Yinju

Also known as Yingui or Yinju, this type of object traditionally assisted in seal placement and compositional alignment in calligraphy and seal carving.

An old saying goes: “Without rule and measure, there can be no circle or square.”

• The gui (compass) defines the circle

• The ju (square) defines the square

Beyond its practical role, the Yingui embodies concepts of discipline, proportion, and moral order, making it both a functional tool and a symbolic presence within the scholar’s studio.

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Use and Collecting

With its substantial weight and naturally developed patina, this piece may serve as:

• A paperweight

• A seal-guiding tool

• A scholar’s desk object

• A collectible literati artifact

Quiet in character yet rich in meaning, it exemplifies the traditional ideal of objects as vessels of principle.

白铜手工雕刻印规（印矩）镇纸

题铭：
居高声自远 · 一鸣惊人

类别：文房器具
进阶类别：印规 / 印矩 · 镇纸

材质：白铜

工艺：
手工錾刻、阴线雕刻

外观形式：
异形半月式构件，一体成型

尺寸：
见附加信息

重量：
见附加信息

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器物形制与纹饰说明

此件印规以白铜制成，整体呈不规则半月式构形，线条收放自然，兼具实用与陈设之美。器面以手工錾刻工艺装饰，一侧刻绘枝叶与蝉纹，蝉体线条简练而富节奏感，枝叶走势疏朗，留白得当，呈现出典型文人审美取向。

蝉纹在传统文化中寓意高洁、远声、自持而不争，与器面所刻“居高声自远”“一鸣惊人”题语相互呼应，寄寓才名自显、声誉远播之意。

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铭文释义

• 居高声自远：
  取自古语意象，喻德行、才华本身即具感召力，无需张扬。

• 一鸣惊人：
  语出典故，象征厚积薄发、关键时刻脱颖而出。

两句铭文一静一动，相互映衬，既含自省之意，亦具进取之象，尤契合书斋陈设与文房案头使用场景。

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关于“印规 / 印矩”

此类器物又称“印规”或“印矩”，为传统文房中辅助钤印、校正章法之用具。

古谚有云：“规矩规矩，没有规矩，不成方圆。”
其中——

• 圆者为规

• 方者为矩

以规画圆，以矩定方，象征法度、尺度与秩序。印规不仅具实用功能，更承载着文人对于法度、自律与审美分寸的理解，因而常被视为文房器具中兼具象征意味的一类。

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收藏与使用说明

此件印规材质厚实，包浆自然，适合用于：

• 文房镇纸

• 印章钤盖辅助

• 书斋陈设

• 文人雅器收藏

整体气质内敛而不浮华，既可实用，亦可静赏，体现出传统文房器物“器以载道”的审美取向。