One of the collection values of inkstone in the Northern Song Dynasty is that a good inkstone placed on a desk can not only splash ink, but also be used as a good ornament, especially the ancient inkstone with delicate stone and fine carving, which is of great appreciation value. If it is accompanied by celebrity inscriptions, it will be more valuable for collection.
The collection of inkstones is mainly based on the age of inkstones, carving techniques, inscriptions and inkstone eyes. According to the material, there are stone, tile and pottery, among which most are inkstones; According to the source, there are Duanyan and She Yan. Sculptors also have different landscapes and flower-and-bird patterns. In terms of style, the inkstone platform in Tang and Song Dynasties is simple in shape, mostly rectangular or square, with rough stone but simple in carving style. What do inkstone products look like in Ming and Qing Dynasties? Fancy? There are round, oval, arc and other shapes, the stone is smooth as jade, beautifully carved, and there are often poems with patterns at that time. Some famous inkstones also have inkstone eyes, such as Xingyuan Duanyan in Ming Dynasty. Stone is a water rock in Guduanzhou, and there are four kinds of inscriptions on the wall of the inkstone, including cursive script, official script, seal script and running script, which are very beautiful.
Although compared with the postal currency card, the inkstone transaction is still relatively dull at present, with the acceleration of the transformation of the old city of Hangzhou, more and more inkstones of Ming and Qing dynasties are sold by residents, attracting many calligraphy lovers and foreign tourists, especially Taiwan and Hong Kong compatriots and Japanese and Korean tourists. At present, the price of top-class Guangdong ink stone in Ming Dynasty can reach 2000 yuan.
Is the collection value of inkstone equal to pen, ink and paper inkstone? Four Treasures of the Study? Literati in China all cherished the inkstone, and it was also a fashion to appreciate and collect the inkstone in ancient times. With the evolution of social history, Yantai has concentrated all kinds of information about the culture, economy and even aesthetic consciousness of various dynasties in China. Today, inkstone has completed the transformation from practical products to works of art, thus creating its unique collection and financial management value.
The artworks of each era have traces of that era, including history, humanities and culture. Zhang Huizhi, an antique collector, lamented to the reporter of International Finance News that a small inkstone can almost condense a great era. ? As the saying goes, between square inches, there is a dry Kun? .
But with the development of the times, inkstone has become an antique in the eyes of modern people, which is extremely rare in ordinary people. The reporter also learned from the Wan Wen market that after a long period of evolution, inkstone is no longer a simple stationery, but has become a fine handicraft integrating sculpture and painting, and has become the object of literati's collection.
Undeniably, inkstone is a bright pearl in the treasure house of Chinese civilization, with high artistic value and use value. Many beautifully carved inkstones are regarded as treasures by collectors. However, many people don't understand the charm of these palm-sized things. With the popularity of the ink stone collection market in recent years, where should the new collectors start?
The origin of inkstone
If we want to explore the origin of inkstone, we may trace it back to primitive society, that is, the grinding machine where human beings made tools at that time.
Data show that inkstone, also known as research, is a tool for studying ink. It was developed with pen and ink, and the earliest inkstone appeared. Because Han people invented artificial ink making, ink can be ground directly on inkstone, so inkstone began to develop, followed by copper inkstone, pottery inkstone, silver inkstone, wooden tire lacquer sand inkstone and so on; The most prominent thing from the Six Dynasties to the Sui Dynasty was the appearance of porcelain inkstones. The Tang Dynasty was an important period for the development of inkstone, and two inkstones, Duanyan and Broken inkstone, appeared. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the materials of inkstone were more abundant, and there appeared tile inkstone, iron inkstone, tin inkstone, jade inkstone, ivory inkstone and bamboo inkstone.
Although there are different names such as inkstone, jade inkstone and pottery inkstone according to the different raw materials, from a practical point of view, there are generally only two categories: tile inkstone and stone inkstone. Tile inkstone can be divided into mud inkstone and brick inkstone according to the different production. According to the origin, inkstone is divided into more than ten varieties, such as Duanyan, She Yan, Wujin, Lingyan, Hua Kai, Dagu, Shenzhou, Xishi, Yan Tao, Zishi, Liao Yan and Songhua.
Besides inkstones, China also produces some inkstones made of special materials, such as ceramic inkstones, clay inkstones, crystal inkstones, brick inkstones, paper inkstones and rubber inkstones. Cheng Ni inkstone, one of the four famous inkstones, is an extension of Yan Tao. What did Han Yu say in Yi Yanwen in the Tang Dynasty? Soil is almost qualitative, and pottery is almost a tool? , refers to the inkstone. Bricks and tiles used to build palaces in Qin and Han dynasties were mostly mud removal. Later, some people used these bricks to make inkstones. As described in Wu Rong's Gu Yan Wafu in Tang Dynasty:? Soft but not rigid is meaningless, earthy and clumsy; Don't say it's useless, it's broken. ? One more thing:? In the Tang Dynasty, it was also said that when a tile is used as an inkstone, it will swell like a tile in the inkstone, and it is more important not to leave ink. ?
As what? Four Treasures of the Study? First, inkstone has a long history, and there are many titles or nicknames about it.
In the Tang Dynasty, Han Yu wrote Biography of Mao Ying, calling it an inkstone? Hong Tao? , refers to the brick inkstone. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, although the famous Duanshi, Huishi, Hongsi and Shitao appeared successively, and the inkstones made of these stones became popular, the mining and production of inkstones were still restricted by various conditions. Porcelain inkstones were easy to make, so there were still more inkstones at that time. In the habit of addressing, inkstone is always associated with pottery tile.
In addition, according to another document, in the Tang Dynasty, Wen Song personified people with inkstones, and wrote The Biography of Jimo and Hou Shi, saying that the inkstone was named stone and empty, and the words were silently sealed. Jimohou? . From then on, people called the inkstone the queen of Jimo. This title continued until the Song Dynasty, such as Wang Mai's poem "Wash the inkstone platform at night": Thanks to my family, Jimohou, rich in spring and autumn. ?
Until the Song Dynasty scholar Su Shi was born in Wuyuan Wei Long? Tanyan? (a variety of inkstones) wrote a biography of Wan Tan, saying? Tan, a calligrapher in China, is a long-standing classic, which helped to make a sandwich. He was very successful and won the title of 300 households in Qimen. Where's Wan? Don't be unique in the world. ? Since then,? Where's Wan? The name of the spread.
In Zhang Huizhi's view, to some extent, these titles also reflect the literati's? Romantic? .
Collection category
Speaking of ink stone collection, it has existed since ancient times.
Throughout the history of China, there are countless calligraphers who love, collect, compile and write inkstones. Among them, Liu Gongquan in the Tang Dynasty is particularly famous; Ouyang Xiu, Mi Fei, Su Dongpo and Lu You in Song Dynasty; There were Zhu Yizun, Gao and Ji Yun in Qing Dynasty. Their works have had a far-reaching influence on inkstone, inkstone spectrum, inkstone history, research and evaluation, inkstone record, talking about inkstone and inkstone spectrum and Yuewei Caotang.
In the eyes of scholars and collectors, inkstone is not only a practical instrument, but also has profound cultural connotation. As a collection and research object, non-liberal arts people can't do it. Vision comes from practice, and knowledge determines inkstone knowledge. Those who study inkstone also abandon philology? Inkstone? 、? Research? Similarity, which can also be called inkstone science, involves materials, sculpture, art, calligraphy, folklore, literature, culture, history and other aspects, and it is really difficult to communicate at the same time.
Although? Four famous inkstones? Guangdong inkstone, She Yan inkstone, Taohe inkstone and Chengni inkstone are widely known, but in fact, there are different famous products in different periods in ancient times, such as Hongsi inkstone in Tang and Song Dynasties and Songhua inkstone in Qing Dynasty, all of which are classified as first-class products. In the Song Dynasty, Li Zhiyan's "inkstone" was called? Su Yijian wrote four books and five classics? In the spectrum, there are more than forty products, Qingzhou red silk inkstone is the first, Axe Keshan end stone is the second, Longwei stone is the third, and the rest are middle and low grade. ? Gan Long's "Qin Ding, Xi Qing and Yan Pu" put pine stone inkstone? Crown at the head of the inkstone spectrum to shine through the ages? . Wang Shizhen's "Xiang Zu Zhu" also thinks that Songhua Stone inkstone? Should commodities be listed on Taohe River, Weilong River and Hongsi River? .
As far as shapes are concerned, there are bracket shapes and geometric shapes (square, rectangle, circle, ellipse, hexagon, octagon, etc. ), bionic shape, random shape and so on. There are dozens of typical styles of inkstone recorded in Duan Xi Inkstone in Song Dynasty, including flat bottom, full, four straight, axe-shaped, melon-shaped, egg-shaped, human face, lotus leaf, peach blossom, toad-shaped, turtle-shaped, bell-shaped, GUI-shaped, water-shaped, harp-shaped, Pisces-shaped and ball-shaped. Each shape of inkstone has different carving methods. Later generations, especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the more shapes, the finer the carving, and there is a trend of changing from practical to ornamental.
In terms of literature, Liu Yuxi wrote two poems about Duanyan in the Tang Dynasty. One is "Tang Xiucai gave Duanzhou Ziyan a poem to answer it". What's in this poem? Duanzhou inkstone is more important than the world? Sentence. The other one is "Xie's Poetry", which reads:? The sky fills the residual stone, and Kun cuts the mud. The fingerprints are still wet, and the water is not low for more than ten days. ? Blue and white purple inkstone in Li He's Song of Yang Sheng? Duanzhou stone carving is as clever as a god, sharpening the knife and cutting Ziyun? There are two sentences that are widely known. Huang Tingjian, a famous poet and calligrapher in the Northern Song Dynasty, praised Yantai as a "trip out of the mountain". Not light or dry, natural, as thick and warm as a gentleman. The sunshine flies to Venus, and Yun Lan wins the state purple? . "Go to Convene" recorded in detail the royal gift of Songhua inkstone, and its content read,? Lv Yun specially took out the new Yi Songhua inkstone from his study and gave it to the old minister. ?
Discussing the history of inkstone is even more magnificent. According to the catalogue of Sikuquanshu, "Subdivision 25? Records in local records include Four Books on Mohism, History of Mohism, Zhou Juanmo, She Yan's Theory, Bian Mo, Mo Ji and Qin Ding Xiqing Mo. Among them, the history of inkstone says: Tai written by Mi Fei in Song Dynasty has a history of painting and is recorded in a book. First, there are products. On the stone, ink is the best, followed by sex. On the hardness of stone. Sample, and then prepare Jin inkstone and Tang inkstone, in order to achieve the different shapes of the Song Dynasty. There are 26 kinds of inkstones recorded in the book, from jade inkstones to Cai Zhou white inkstones. Finally, two stones, especially the details. I claim that everyone witnessed the user, otherwise I won't record it. Its intentions are extremely cautious? Bi's calligraphy, where the stone is good, is a personal experiment, so the theory of good inkstone depends on the ear of his family. The textual research on the production changes of past dynasties is particularly accurate, which is really enough to help the research and reference. ?
? In fact, the ancients were very meticulous in their collections and would write books for their favorite collections. Now that we look at these, we have almost a general understanding of the types, materials and history of inkstones. ? Zhang Huizhi said.
Is inkstone expensive? Name?
With the embodiment of the collection value of inkstones, the status of famous inkstones in the auction market is gradually rising.
The reporter learned from some ink stone collectors that most auction houses used ink stones in the past. Miscellaneous? Participating in the auction has somewhat upset some collectors who love inkstone. However, since the spring auction in 2007, Hangzhou Xiling Printing Factory has held eight consecutive games. Special auction of famous artists in the past dynasties? The result of the transaction surprised collectors of Tibetan inkstones.
According to Zhang Huizhi, in 2007, the spring auction of an inkstone by a famous artist from Xiling Printing Society had different meanings for inkstone collectors. Everything is difficult at the beginning? Stage.
The reporter learned that at the auction at that time, a total of * * * auctioned 1 17 square inkstones, with a turnover of 1 15 square meters, with a turnover rate of 98.3%. The total transaction price reached18.32 million yuan, more than double the highest estimate of 8.2 million yuan. Among them, the price of unilateral inkstone reached 6.5438+0.6 million yuan. Even in the spring auctions in 2008 and 2009 affected by the international financial crisis, the auction rate of inkstone reached 70% to 84%. After 2009, the market of ink stone collection not only picked up, but also gained a strong momentum and soared. Of the 98 square inkstones auctioned in Xiling, 94 were sold, with a turnover rate of 96.8%, and the total transaction price was14199,000 yuan. One of them is from the Qing Dynasty? Ziyun inkstone in He Jiong? It was sold for 5.488 million yuan, setting a record for the auction of famous artists in the past. This is especially true in the spring and autumn of 20 10. 79 square inkstones were auctioned in spring, and the transaction was 100%, in which the auction price of two famous inkstones exceeded one million yuan. 83 square inkstones were auctioned in autumn, and 82 were sold, with a turnover rate of 98.8%. The prices of the four famous inkstones all exceeded one million yuan.
The success of Yantai auction really surprised the outside world. Why is the ink stone auction so sought after by collectors, and even strongly suppresses the value of other classic Wan Wen auction markets?
? Obviously, what's the secret? Name? Let's go Besides the materials used, the value of the inkstone is itself? Name? . ? Zhang Huizhi told reporters.
So, what is a famous inkstone, and what are the standards?
Professionals believe that China's famous inkstones (including ancient inkstones and new inkstones) have always been influenced by? Six? The influence of experts? Name? Talk about it more or less, and judge it. ? Six? That is, famous inkstone, famous pit, famous products, famous carving, celebrity inscription and famous collection. On an inkstone, what is it? Name? The more you count, the more precious it is. And can you wear it? Six? The inkstone with the crown of inkstone is relatively rare, which can be regarded as the highest-grade inkstone.
The famous inkstone handed down from ancient times is extremely rare, so the market is increasingly optimistic in the art market. In an auction market in Hong Kong, Duanyan, which was made by a party in the 7th century and collected by Zhang Daqian, a master of Chinese painting, was finally smashed at a price of HK$ 385,000 after several rounds of auctions by many buyers. At an auction held in Hanhai, Beijing, the Qingtou Shilong Kwai inkstone in Kangxi period of Qing Dynasty was valued at 400,000 to 600,000 yuan, and the buyer took it away at 6,543.8+0.76 million yuan.
It is worth mentioning that with the development of contemporary art trends, the fine works and gems of contemporary masters are increasingly welcomed by the market, and the prices are also rising all the way. Looking at the performance of contemporary famous inkstones and famous inkstones of past dynasties in the auction market in recent years, in some cases, the new inkstones even surpassed Gu Yan in the total transaction price, the highest auction price and the average auction price.
According to insiders, compared with Gu Yan, the new inkstone has several advantages, such as being easier to identify and appreciate than Gu Yan. After thousands of years of circulation, Gu Yan has a profound cultural heritage, but its exquisite and precious Gu Yan is rare and hard to identify.
It is reported that Zhang Zhongxing, the late master of Chinese studies, was also a master of elegant inkstone and hidden inkstone. He described the appraisal of famous inkstones in past dynasties as follows: there are many ways to forge Gu Yan's inkstones: new inkstones are packed in old boxes, old inkstones are engraved with false inscriptions, residual inkstones repaired by cement are covered with ink, and famous inkstones are imitated and forged? The folk Gu Yan is either Su Dongpo, Zhao Ziang, and even Yu Shinan and Li Taibai. It can be inferred that nine times out of ten it is false. ? The new inkstone doesn't have so much trouble, one inkstone in hand, be clear at a glance; If you can't figure it out, those who carved inkstones, those who carved inkstones, and those who are still alive will be clear when asked. Moreover, the Gu Yan has been used for a long time, and the ink has invaded, which makes the stone and stone products of the inkstone blurred. The stone products of the new inkstone include fish brain jelly, banana leaf white, azure, blue and white, and ice grain. Vivid and clear.
In addition, the function of inkstone has also changed. Although there were many styles (about 70 or more) in Gu Yan in the past dynasties, they were mainly practical and could not be separated from them? Does the equipment work normally when in use? The traditional characteristics of. The new inkstone not only inherited the style of Gu Yan, but also deepened the development of sculpture. Do sculptors pursue anything? New? 、? Strange? 、? Beautiful? In this process, we made use of the characteristics of the inkstone platform, such as its own structure, modeling, stone patterns and so on. Stone for composition, material for artistry, and clever use of color? , highlighting the natural charm, the inkstone made is also deeply loved by Tibetan inkstone artists.
How to identify
Nowadays, many collectors who invest in inkstones are aiming at more valuable inkstones. For example, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Beijing gathered various inkstones carved by skilled craftsmen from all over the country. At that time, the material selection, polishing technology and carving technology of inkstone platform had reached a quite mature stage, so many fine products emerged all over the country; During the Republic of China, Shanghai-style realistic muddy inkstone was also a popular variety for collection and investment.
Knowing how to invest and collect inkstones is very important, and a good eye will often bring unexpected returns.