Laizhou Yin Shi is a new seal cutting printing material developed in recent years. Produced in Chengxigou, Laizhou City, Shandong Province, around the Fuyou Mountain of Dengjia and maoji Tomb. It is more than 30 kilometers away from Fiona Fang, and is located around the magnesium mining area. It is associated with talc and magnesite, with wide distribution area, abundant reserves, phosphate crystal structure, massive structure, fine texture, smooth hand feel and translucent wax luster. Due to the different textures of seals, there are more than 30 kinds of seals that can be used for seal cutting. There are dark blue, gray, light green, dark green, yellow, white, two-color alternating or three-color alternating. Because the white material is crystal clear and the green material is like jade, it is called Laizhou jade by the world.
The development and utilization of Laizhou stone can be traced back to the Neolithic Age and reached a considerable level of carving in the Song Dynasty. The articles for daily use unearthed from maoji cemetery in Ming Dynasty fully illustrate the extensive use of Laizhou stone. Maogongshi is one of the rare species in Yin Shi, Laizhou, which is produced in maoji cemetery in Zhang Cun, Xishan, Laizhou. Later generations dug up some ochre-brown fist-shaped stone eggs when digging its grave. The small ones are full of inches, and the big ones are like fists, cracking the skin to reveal lovely colors. This stone has no mineral source, and is scattered in agricultural clay in the form of bands, including dark blue, mottled green, mottled yellow, blue gray, dark blue and snake pattern.
Alternating, like a snake pattern. Maogong stone is elegant in color, dense in texture and structure, delicate and moist, small in block shape and moderate in hardness, which is suitable for carrying knives in seal cutting. Because of its small output, it is one of the excellent materials for making micro-carving works, and has been highly praised by many painting and calligraphy lovers and seal cutting lovers.
Green frozen stone, also known as Laizhou jade, is produced in Manjiating Village and around the jade mining area. Its colors are light green, dark green, dark green and so on. Its purity is almost transparent and can be confused with jade. In the printed column of Common Sense of Fu Seal Carving Documents, it is introduced that Laizhou jade is produced in Ye County (now Laizhou City) of Shandong Province, with transparent texture and green color, so it is also called blue frozen stone. It belongs to nephrite, and its hardness is only slightly higher than Shoushan stone and Qingtian stone. It can be carved with common knives and is a good printing material for printing.
Xizi Stone, also known as Mudao Stone, is produced in Manjiating and Xishan Zhang Cun. It has the largest variety and abundant reserves, including Xiziyu, Moxizi, Huangxizi and Heihuaxizi. Countless, because the stone is smooth, it is widely used by seal cutting enthusiasts. Xizishi is also one of the materials for making clever carvings and buckles.
Leopard flower stone is a good seal cutting printing material with less output. It is named after its stone yellow mixed with even green frozen stone spots, similar to leopard skin. Mr. Han Huanfeng, a famous seal engraver, praised his stone carvings after they were printed, which fully explained one of the reasons why Laishi was widely used as a seal engraving material.
Tiger skin hibiscus stone is a new product developed by India Shilex Company. It is an excellent seal cutting material, which is rich in color and texture, easy to carve and does not hurt the cutting edge. It can be compared with Shoushan Jiashi, but the output is very small and there are no large pieces. It is one of the best collections for Tibetan stone lovers.
Chicken liver stone is one of its characteristics because of its light yellow color, stone lines all over, or like a mountain tree like an ink landscape painting, rather than a seam in the stone. Its knife sense is the same as Shoushan stone, and it is also a good seal cutting material.
Others include celadon flower, bean jade seed, mung bean paste, cloth towel, soy sauce frozen stone, tiger skin stone, golden-eyed leopard flower, three-eyebrow stone, aquatic flower, crystal bubble, bamboo leaves and so on. It is also a good printing material for seal cutting.
If Qingtian stone and Shoushan stone pyrophyllite are compared to the enchanting girls in the south, then Laizhou stone shows the beauty of northern jasper with its gentle and generous magnolia skin!
The above only introduces the characteristic and representative Laizhou Yin Shi. In fact, Laizhou Yin Shi is not only the above varieties, but also needs us to develop Laizhou Yin Shi in the future to meet the needs of seal carvers with different styles and habits. Many seal engravers don't know much about Laizhou Yin Shi. I hope this article can play a certain role in promoting Yin Shi in Laizhou, and let more seal engravers and calligraphy seal engravers have a newer understanding of Yin Shi in Laizhou.
The author is a member of Shandong Calligraphers Association, president of Laizhou Seal Cutting Association and president of Yunfeng Printing Society.