
What is an inkstone?

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:

- 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.
- 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.
- The second step is to make delicate carving work on the stone to turn the outline into a three dimensional carving.
- 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
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Ancient mine crazed-vein pattern hand-carved She inkstone
Special feature of the stone: precious ancient mine high grade She inkstone. The stone itself has natural vein pattern.$1,210.00 (USD)
Brand: inkston
Materials: She Inkstone Crazed vein pattern (Ancient Mine)
Packaging: Handmade Fine Camphorwood Box
Recommend to: Professionals
Suitable for: Calligraphy, Chinese Painting
Product Size: 13.5 × 9.6 × 2 cmAncient mine crazed-vein pattern hand-carved She inkstone
$1,210.00 (USD) Add -
Fine Luo Wen Inkstone Carved with Crane and Lotus 5 inches
Hand crafted with fine selected Luo Wen natural stone, which has a very smooth water wave pattern. The cover is carved with crane and lotus. A very elegant and sophisticated inkstone with good quality and friendly price. size: 12.5 * 12.5 * 3.6 cm. hand carved.$54.60 (USD)
Brand: inkston
Maker: Inkston
Materials: Natural Stone
Recommend to: Advanced Level, Beginners, Medium Level, Professionals
Suitable for: Calligraphy, Chinese Painting
Product Size: 12.5 × 12.5 × 3.6 cm
Product Weight: 576
Shipping size: 15 × 15 × 5 cmFine Luo Wen Inkstone Carved with Crane and Lotus 5 inches
$54.60 (USD) Add -
Fine Luo Wen Inkstone Carved with Dragon
Materials: very fine Luo Wen stone. Packaging: the inkstone is contained in a wooden box. Feature: machine carved in the beginning; then our craftsman improved the details.$41.80 (USD)
Brand: inkston
Maker: Inkston
Packaging: Wooden Box
Recommend to: Beginners, Medium Level
Suitable for: Calligraphy, Chinese PaintingFine Luo Wen Inkstone Carved with Dragon
$41.80 (USD) Add -
Fine Luo Wen Paperweight Inkstone
This inkstone is made with fine Luo Wen stone. Its special design also allows you to use it as paperweight, and rest your brush on it.$31.90 (USD)
Brand: inkston
Maker: Inkston
Recommend to: Beginners, Medium Level
Suitable for: Calligraphy, Chinese Painting
Product Size: 17.7 × 4.6 × 2.5 cmFine Luo Wen Paperweight Inkstone
$31.90 (USD) Add -
Fine Taiji (Tai Chi) Inkstone with Cover
Fine Taiji (Tai Chi) Inkstone with Cover$62.70 (USD)
Brand: inkston
Maker: Inkston
Recommend to: Beginners, Medium Level
Suitable for: Calligraphy, Chinese Painting
Product Size: 13 × 13 × 3.5 cmFine Taiji (Tai Chi) Inkstone with Cover
$62.70 (USD) Add -
Floral decoration Smooth vein hand-carved She inkstone
Floral decoration Smooth vein hand-carved She inkstone$143.00 (USD)
Brand: inkston
Materials: She Inkstone smooth vein pattern (new mine)
Packaging: Wooden Box
Recommend to: Advanced Level, Beginners, Medium Level, Professionals
Suitable for: Calligraphy, Chinese Painting
Product Size: 14.6 × 14.2 × 3 cmFloral decoration Smooth vein hand-carved She inkstone
$143.00 (USD) Add -
Flowers Golden shadow pattern hand-carved She inkstone
Special feature of the stone: new mine stone with natural golden shadow colouring. Hand carved and detailed with flowers.$638.00 (USD)
Brand: inkston
Materials: She Inkstone Golden shadow (new Mine)
Recommend to: Advanced Level, Professionals
Suitable for: Calligraphy, Chinese Painting
Product Size: 28 × 17.5 × 3 cmFlowers Golden shadow pattern hand-carved She inkstone
$638.00 (USD) Add -
Gold fleck pattern hand-carved She inkstone
Special feature of the stone: new mine stone with natural 'gold' flecks 金星. The flecks are not gold, instead it is brownish flecks on the natural stone. Extra customization service: for carving poems/ signatures in Chinese, please contact inkston. The extra service fee is normally 50 USD.$440.00 (USD)
Brand: inkston
Materials: She Inkstone Gold fleck pattern (new Mine)
Recommend to: Advanced Level, Professionals
Suitable for: Calligraphy, Chinese Painting
Product Size: 12.8 × 8.5 × 2.8 cmGold fleck pattern hand-carved She inkstone
$440.00 (USD) Add -
Green caviar pattern Round hand-carved She inkstone
11.5cm/4.5" diameter round hand carved professional Inkstone in hand carved camphorwood box Stone: 歙砚 She inkstone from 济源坑 Ji Yuan mine: one of the four most famous inkstone mines in China Stone pattern: 青鱼子 Green Caviar (natural specked markings) $748.00 (USD)
Brand: inkston
Materials: She Inkstone Speckled “Green Caviar” (Ji Yuan Mine)
Packaging: Handmade Fine Camphorwood Box
Recommend to: Professionals
Suitable for: Calligraphy, Chinese Painting
Product Size: 11.5 × 11.5 × 3 cmGreen caviar pattern Round hand-carved She inkstone
$748.00 (USD) Add -
Inkston Handmade SheYan Inkstone
Special Features: this inkstone is selected and handcrafted by Inkston Studio. The stone is made with fine authentic she inkstone. The stone surface is very smooth and very good at producing fine ink liquid. The stone is also very sensitive to moisture. Generally speaking, it is a very economic piece made with fine material.$86.90 (USD)
Brand: 老胡開文墨莊 Old Hu Kai Wen Ink Workshop
Materials: She inkstone
Packaging: Blue silk-lined card box
Product Size: 20 × 16 × 2.7 cm
Product Weight: 1500
Shipping size: 25 × 19 × 5 cmInkston Handmade SheYan Inkstone
$86.90 (USD) Add -
INKSTON Rectangular Inkstone without Cover
Rectangular inkstone made with natural stone, available in a range of sizes: 8" - 8 inch diameter (20 * 13.5 * 2.8 cm), 1330g 7" - 7 inch diameter (18 * 12 * 2.5 cm), 1250g 6" - 6 inch diameter (15 * 8.5 * 2.5 cm), 550g 5" - 5 inch diameter (13 * 7.5 * 2 cm), 392g$12.10 – $24.37
Brand: inkston
Packaging: Blue card boxINKSTON Rectangular Inkstone without Cover
$12.10 – $24.37 Choose -
INKSTON Special Designed 6 inches Round Inkstone With Cover
Hand crafted with natural stone. It has special design on the bottom and it forms a special ink tank inside the inkstone.$19.28 (USD)
Brand: inkston
Packaging: Blue card box
Product Size: 14 × 14 × 3.3 cm
Product Weight: 576
Shipping size: 13 × 13 × 3 cmINKSTON Special Designed 6 inches Round Inkstone With Cover
$19.28 (USD) Add
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
[…] 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 […]
[…] 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 […]
[…] 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. […]
[…] 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 […]
[…] 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 […]
[…] 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. […]
[…] 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. […]
[…] 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 […]
[…] also houses traditional hand-made brushes, hand-carved Sheyan inkstones from Anhui, and hand-made ceramic accessories from young ceramic artists and designers in […]