This ink stone was made from American desert stone according to the Chinese inscription on the back by Jianghu Sanren. The inscription reads: 此石被在美國西方之沙漠找到了是妙墨池我陶錬池之面所以墨汗有很雅等次 江湖散人刻.


See NRI2/8/1/6/1 for:
- 1 red piece of silk with interwoven patterns and Chinese characters 葛樂圃贈硯 [Inkstone presented by Gelepu]. Gelepu is Ivan Groupp, who sent Joseph Needham the ink stone in 1972 (see NRI/SCC6/15/4 for the relevant letter). This piece of silk was used to wrap the ink stone
- 1 long piece of thick cream cotton also used to wrap the ink stone
- 1 sheet of handwritten notes in Chinese and English relating to the ink stone.