An ink dish is a small round or square dish, usually made of porcelain or ceramics, used to hold ink. There is a concave area at the bottom of the ink dish, which is used to place ink blocks and add water to stir them into ink. Ink dishes are usually used in artistic creation such as calligraphy and painting. Ink tray is a flat plate, usually made of stone or metal, used to grind ink sticks. The bottom of the ink tray is flat, which is used to grind ink blocks and mix with water to form ink. Ink tray is usually used in artistic creation such as calligraphy and painting.