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Inkstone, a work of art for making art

What is an inkstone?

una piedra terminada con talla de bambú
inkstone with bamboo decoration

The ink stone is traditionally regarded as the chief of China’s “Four Treasures of the Study“,  a precious work of art and a collectors item to be handed down from generation to generation.

Sheyan (歙砚) inkstones from Shexian, Huizhou in Anhui province have been produced since the Tang Dynasty. The stone has is a special type of local black slate and may also display a variety of gold-colour markings or lines, there are some examples of these in the Inkstone Buyer’s Guide.

How is an Inkstone used?

Inkstone is Chinese art’s mixing palette for ink.  In particular the inks are kept in the form of a inkstick which is rubbed on the stone and mixed with water to make liquid ink.

Of course, as well as the carved design there is a sunken inkwell, which is normally angled from shallow to deep, so there is a deeper area which acts as a reservoir for the mixed ink and a shallow area for the mixing or simply removing excess ink from the brush.

How is an inkstone made?

Highly polished and richly decorated hand-carved inkstones take months to make, here’s the basic outline:

interviewing the carver
interviewing the artist
  • To start the stone block is cut and polished to the desired size – which can vary quite a lot as both large and small stones are produced.
  • Then each individual Ink Stone is carved and engraved in three stages.
    1. The first stage is called ‘paint’, which means to carve the outline of the design on the stone.  The designs can vary a lot but are commonly natural scenes, mountains, forests, temples and themes from traditional art.
    2. The second step is to make delicate carving work on the stone to turn the outline into a three dimensional carving.
    3. The last step is to complete the fine detail of the carving.
  • Last but not the least, after the carving work is finished, the stone will be polished carefully to make sure the surface is smooth enough to make ink.

 

Inkstone Shop

Read more about Inkstones


We also had a good book recommendation for those wanting to learn more: The Social Life of Inkstones – Artisans and Scholars in Early Qing China by DOROTHY KO

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9 thoughts on “Inkstone, a work of art for making art”

  1. Chinese Su Ink landscape painting tips with Wang Zirang - Inkston

    […] important centres for Chinese painting, as well as home also to Old Hu Kai Wen Ink workshop and traditional inkstone workshop. The beautiful city of Huizhou has been home to a lot of intellectuals and many famous painters in […]

  2. Huang Guohong - Chinese GongBi Detail Painting - Inkston

    […] important centres for Chinese painting, as well as home also to Old Hu Kai Wen Ink workshop and traditional inkstone workshop. We asked the Shexian painters to tell us about their techniques and […]

  3. China’s Four Treasures of the Study - Inkston

    […] Inkstones are often a precious work of art in their own right, richly carved by highly trained sculptors.  Shexian inkstones (歙砚 Shèyàn) have been produced since the Tang Dynasty. The stone has a black color and may also displays a variety of gold-like markings. […]

  4. Wang Hui 汪辉 - Chinese Abstract Painting - Inkston

    […] important centres for Chinese painting, as well as home also to Old Hu Kai Wen Ink workshop and traditional inkstone workshop. We asked the Shexian painters to tell us about their techniques and […]

  5. Chinese Ink - traditional handmade inksticks - Inkston

    […] liquid, so it lasts for generations without drying out.  To use the ink, the stick is rubbed on an inkstone and mixed with water as needed.  Freshly mixed ink is used with a Chinese brush with a thick body […]

  6. Wang Zirang 汪子让 Painting Gallery: Joy of Su Ink - Inkston

    […] Wang Zirang 汪子让 is a member of China Artists Association, from Anhui’s Shexian. Shexian, includes old Huizhou, near Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) in Anhui province which has long been recognised as one of the most important centres for Chinese painting, as well as home also to Old Hu Kai Wen Ink workshop and traditional inkstone workshop. […]

  7. Inkstone Buyers Guide - Inkston

    […] This is a guide to the types of stone and how to buy them, for general introduction and workshop pictures see Ink Stone, a work of art used for making art. […]

  8. Leitfaden für den Reibstein-Kauf

    […] eine allgemeine Einführung über Reibsteine aus China und für Werkstattbilder besuchen Sie bitte Ink Stone, a work of art used for making art (Reibsteine – Kunstwerke, um Kunst zu […]

  9. Inkston preserves traditional oriental art and craftmanship | Breakaway Daily Magazine

    […] also houses traditional hand-made brushes, hand-carved Sheyan inkstones from Anhui, and hand-made ceramic accessories from young ceramic artists and designers in […]

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