The Yellow River Chengni inkstone is as famous as Duanyan, She Yan and Yan Tao, and it is one of the four famous inkstones in the history of China. Li Zhiyan's Yan Pu in Song Dynasty said: "The Yellow River is muddy, and the character of Tang Dynasty comes first." During the Tang and Song Dynasties, it was once listed as a tribute. After Yuan Dynasty, Cheng Ni inkstone was submerged in the world because the key technology of production was lost. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, there were many efforts to develop artificial maps, but they failed for various reasons. 1988, inspired by calligraphers, Zhang Cunsheng and Wang Ling, the first folk artists in Anhui, bravely took up the task of developing Cheng Niyan. After years of hard work, the couple finally successfully developed Cheng Ni inkstone, which has been lost for hundreds of years, reappeared in the world and obtained a national patent.
Cheng Ni inkstone is produced in Zhouguo, Henan, Jiangzhou, Shanxi, Qingzhou, Shandong and other places along the Yellow River. It is famous for its unique manufacturing technology, complicated working procedure, difficult firing and extremely low inkstone yield. Kiln 1 100 inkstone, inkstone is only 35 square meters. Because of its special reasons, the inventors Zhang Cunsheng and Wang Ling mainly made them for famous literati or gave them to friends as gifts, so it is not easy to sell in the market. Even if it is sold, an inkstone often needs thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.
The key to finding a good inkstone is its quality. First, the texture is hard and durable. Second, ink is fast and impermeable. The third is a strange color. The color of Cheng Ni inkstone is pure and generous, and its "color" is not found in other famous inkstones. Fourth, the sculpture is absolutely beautiful. Cheng Ni inkstone has vivid modeling and exquisite carving. Birds, animals, flowers, birds, fish and insects are all objects of Cheng Niyan's creation. Round carving, relief carving, through carving, line carving and other techniques are integrated into a clear mud inkstone. "Its shape is small, soft and exquisite, while its volume is generous and elegant, its shape is delicate and elegant, and its shape is smart and gorgeous."
Speaking of the development of Yellow River inkstone, it took a long time. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, calligraphy developed rapidly, and the demand for inkstone platform increased greatly, which gave Cheng Ni a golden development space. Therefore, after the Wei and Jin Dynasties, great progress has been made in the production technology and craft decoration of Cheng Ni inkstone. During the Three Kingdoms period, the tile of Tongquetai built by Cao Cao was made of clear mud. The high development of economy and the popularization of calligraphy in Tang Dynasty promoted the further development of Cheng Ni inkstone technology, that is, the maturity of Cheng Ni inkstone. Han Yu, a great writer in the Tang Dynasty, said in the article "History of Inkstone": "The soil is fast becoming quality, the pottery is fast becoming, and the inkstone is fast researching, which is different from rubble." Su Dongpo, Li Zhiyan, Mi Fei and Liu Gongquan all have records about Cheng Niyan. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, Cheng Ni inkstone was listed as a tribute by the royal family. Emperors such as Wu Zetian, Zhu Yuanzhang and Qianlong have a special liking for Cheng Ni inkstone and are full of praise. Emperor Qianlong praised: "It is like a stone, but it produces fluid."
The contemporary Yellow River Chengni inkstone absorbs the unique skills of ancient production. After many complicated, miscellaneous, strange and special processes, it is possible to make an inkstone with delicate texture and soft luster. In addition, due to the kiln change, the Yellow River Chengni inkstone has ten boxes and various inkstones, just like the works of immortals. The inkstone has various bright colors, such as mung bean green, eel yellow, crab shell gray and rose red. Out of pottery, porcelain, beautiful jade, touch it like a child's muscle, hold it like a golden sound, and see it like a sunset. On the same inkstone, sometimes there will be a natural kiln-changing pattern with black and white blending and yellow and gray competing for each other. The book circle agrees that its ink storage will not rot, freeze in winter, dry up in summer and be eaten by insects who write and draw. Appraised by experts from relevant departments, this inkstone has high hardness, fast grinding and fine and even ink quality. If you breathe through your mouth, a layer of water vapor left on the surface of the inkstone will never penetrate into the inkstone until it does not evaporate, which is necessary in the inkstone. Therefore, it is not only loved by literati, but also a treasure of collectors. It is a treasure of China culture, with high ornamental, use and collection value.