Duanyan is produced in the Duan Xi River area in the eastern suburb of Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province, and is known as the first of the four famous inkstones. Zhaoqing was called Duanzhou in ancient times, hence the name Duanyan. The stone of Duanyan is excellent, solid and delicate, and it is known as "ink does not hurt hair" and "it is cold and not frozen". In this regard, there is a beautiful legend among the people: at the end of the Tang Dynasty, a juren named Liang from Duanzhou went to Beijing to take the exam, and it was snowing heavily and freezing in Kyoto. Except for Liang in Duanzhou, the ink of all candidates in the examination room was frozen.
The use of Duanyan began in the early Tang Dynasty, with a history of 1300 years. Duanyan became famous in the middle Tang Dynasty for its excellent stone quality. After the development of Song and Yuan Dynasties, it experienced the maturity of Ming and Qing Dynasties and the decline of the late Qing Dynasty, as well as the recovery and development period after 1949.
The characteristics of Duan inkstone are different in different periods. Duan inkstone in Tang and Song Dynasties is simple and practical. By the Ming Dynasty, the appreciation value of Duanyan tended to be strengthened, and the variety of fancy was increasing. In the Qing Dynasty, the shape of Duanyan was the treasure of the study, including sculpture, painting, calligraphy, seal cutting and other art categories, and entered the ranks of national arts and crafts. Today, it has become a wonderful flower in China Arts and Crafts Garden. In May 2006, "Duanyan Craft" was selected as the first batch of intangible cultural heritage in China.
The appearance of an inkstone has to go through 10 kinds of arduous and delicate processes, such as detection, excavation, transportation, material selection, sorting, design, carving, polishing, washing and assembly. Mining inkstone can't be operated mechanically, only by hand. Quarrying workers in past dynasties followed the direction of stone veins, naturally dug deep and chiseled out from joints. 30% to 40% of the selected inkstones can be used rarely.
Due to the unique geographical environment and the tradition of inkstone making, Zhaoqing was awarded the honorary title of "China inkstone capital" in September 2004, which ushered in a new opportunity for the inheritance and development of Duanyan. At present, there are more than 100 private enterprises and nearly 400 workshops in Zhaoqing, and the main market of Duanyan has also been transferred from abroad to China.
On the basis of inheriting the ancient carving art, the modern masters of inkstone carving boldly innovated with the local scenic spots, legends and specialties in Zhaoqing as the theme, and their artistic creation developed in the direction of large-scale and three-dimensional, showing the situation of a hundred flowers blooming, and produced many outstanding works with distinctive national characteristics and times style. Guangdong inkstone has made great progress in quantity and quality.
About Duan inkstone
1, Guangdong inkstone definition:
Duanyan is a kind of inkstone with ink grinding function, which is made of stones suitable for ink grinding in the administrative area of Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province. Zhaoqing was called Duanzhou in ancient times, so it was called Duanyan. According to Yin Shi Yan Tan written by Jinan in Qing Dynasty, "Dongpo Cloud, Duan Xi Stone, began in the world of Tang Wude." Wude is the title of Tang Gaozu, and the first year of Wude was 6 18. Based on this calculation, the publication of Duanyan has exceeded 1380 years. 1952 The dustpan-shaped inkstone unearthed from 705 tomb in Changsha, Hunan Province and the dustpan-shaped inkstone unearthed from Tang tomb in Guangzhou Zoo (now in Guangzhou Museum) just confirm the history of Duanyan.
2. The characteristics of Duanyan stone:
The stone is fine and moist, and the ink will not be damaged. Breathing can grind ink, and stone patterns are rich and colorful. The developed ink is oily and glossy, rich in layers, and it is the first in China without being eaten by insects and ants. Moderate hardness; The hardness of Duanyan stone is Mohs (2.8-3.5), which is slightly harder than ink stick (2.2-2.4), but lower than carving knife (about 5) 1 times. In this way, the ink in Duanyan can be carved quickly and easily. Does not absorb water; The low apparent porosity and saturated water absorption of Duanyan stone indicate that the mineral of the inkstone is fine, the gap between grains is small, and there is no opening or tiny opening crack, so the inkstone will not dry up after water storage.
3. Classification of Duanyan Stone:
Duanyan stone can be divided into purple end, green end and Bai Duan, among which purple end stone is silicate rock rich in aluminum, potassium and iron. Chlorophyll and leucophyllite are carbonate rocks rich in calcium and magnesium. The purple-end stone and green-end stone were formed in the same Devonian. Baiduanshi was formed in Carboniferous period, 70 million years later than Ziquanshi.
The minerals of purple stone are mainly clay minerals such as muscovite and sericite metamorphic from muscovite. There are also a small amount of iron minerals, kaolinite and timely debris. Iron minerals are mainly hematite, followed by magnetite, siderite, chlorite and limonite. The inkstone contains a small amount of muscovite fragments, feldspar fragments, zircon, tourmaline and rutile.
Chlorophyll is mainly composed of dolomite, followed by hydromica, chronological detritus, magnetite, calcite and other minerals.
Baiduanshi, or Baiduanyan, is produced in Qixingyan, Zhaoqing. On the geological map, it is Hutian limestone. Baidianshi belongs to carbonate rock and is quasi-syngenetic micrite-silty dolomite. The rocks are white or off-white, and the main mineral components are dolomite 98%, calcite, etc.
The stone eye of Duanyan is a spherical stone core that grows in the inkstone and looks like an animal's eye. The prototype is formed by mung bean deposition, which is called bean structure in geology. The middle grain is iron mineral, and the shell is wrapped with green clay, and it does not contain iron minerals such as magnetite and hematite. Color halo is formed in the final stage of inkstone formation due to the oxidation of central iron minerals and the diffusion and impregnation of iron. The basic feature of the eye is spherical, which consists of three parts: sphere, pupil at the nucleus and eyelid at the edge. The natural spherical points on the inkstone are similar in shape and size to the eyes of birds, cats and chickens. The ancients called it a stone eye. For a long time, people praised the stone eye on Duanyan while praising the stone quality. The stone hole in Guangdong inkstone is a little hard, which hinders ink grinding, but
4. Distribution of inkstones and main inkstones
Guangdong inkstone has been mined intermittently since the early Tang Dynasty. The largest number of inkstone pits were mined in Qing Dynasty. According to the Qing Dynasty Daoguang He Chuanyao's Ink Analysis of Baoyantang, there are about 70 inkpits. At present, there are about 42 new and old inkstone pits that can be located on the national topographic map, and there are more than ten kinds of inkstones currently being mined. Duanyan Stone is mainly distributed in the following areas: First, the Fukeshan area east of the Xijiang Antelope Gorge, that is, the area east of the Duan Xi River, stretches for more than 10 kilometers. The best quality inkstones in Duanyan are mainly concentrated in this area. The main inkstone pits are Laokeng (also known as Shuiyan and Huangkeng), Kengziyan, Makeng, Chaotianyan, Xuandeyan, Gutayan and Luojiao. The second is Antelope Mountain on the north bank of Antelope Gorge in Xijiang River. The main inkstone pits are Longweiqing, Kapok Pit, Baixianyan (including Ergeqing, Redstone and Bluestone) and Frozen Stone. 3. The area stretching for 30 kilometers from west to east at the back of Qixingyan Mountain in Zhaoqing City is collectively called Songkeng, which mainly includes Putian Qinghua, Lankeng, Pangu Keng, Chenkeng, Wukeng, Donggang Keng, Qiancun Keng, Jiaoyuan Keng and Lvwei. Fourthly, the section east of Shapu Axe Mountain in Dinghu Lake stretches for about 30 kilometers, with abundant inkstone resources and many inkstone pits. In addition to the plum blossom pit and green tail of Dianshui, they are collectively called Axe Kedong. Fifth, Bai Duan, which was mined by Qixingyan, and Bai Duan, which was mined in Ming Dynasty, are often used for Zhu Pi without ink, because Qixingyan is a scenic spot and mining is prohibited.
5. A brief history of Duanyan
Duanyan began in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty, superior to the Ming and Qing Dynasties and flourishing today. Duan inkstone has been listed as a tribute in the Tang Dynasty. Emperors and literati of past dynasties left a large number of poems, writings, inkstones, legends, stories, couplets, riddles and calligraphy and painting praising Duanyan, forming a complete cultural system of Duanyan. Duanyan is a work of art integrating sculpture, painting, poetry, calligraphy and seal cutting.
1. Duan inkstone in Tang Dynasty is mainly practical and used for ink research. Most inkstones are dustpan-shaped, but also octagonal, rectangular and square.
2. In Song Dynasty, Duanyan was both practical and ornamental, and its shape was richer than that in Tang Dynasty. According to Ye Yue's Duan Xi Smoke Spectrum in Song Dynasty, there are as many as 50 kinds. Song Yan not only attaches importance to stones and stone patterns, but also attaches importance to sculpture.
3. Duanyan in Yuan Dynasty inherited the legacy of Tang and Song Dynasties, which was broad and broad, but it developed slowly and did not innovate.
4. In the Ming Dynasty, the design, shape and even carving of Duanyan were far superior to those of the previous generation, and the shape and style of Duanyan tended to be diversified, with a wide range of subjects. In the Ming Dynasty, the inkstone mining in Mingkeng, Duan Xi was relatively complete, and many high-quality old pit (water rock) inkstones were mined. Very particular about carving, mainly shallow knife carving, fine carving, line carving and even micro-carving. In Ming Dynasty, most inkstones in Duan Xi were engraved with poems, inscriptions and inscriptions on the bottom and side of inkstones.
Like other arts and crafts, Duanyan reached unprecedented prosperity in the early Qing Dynasty. There are many new creations and breakthroughs in the types of inkstone materials, inkstone shapes, carving techniques, and stone grain evaluation. The inkstone is exquisitely crafted and beautifully carved, and even the decoration of the wooden box is very particular. Some inkstone boxes are inlaid with beautiful jade, ivory or gold and silver thread. After Jiaqing and Daoguang, the exploitation of Duan Xi inkstone gradually decreased, and Duan Xi inkstone became a simple literary object from practicality, and became an appreciation or treasure in the study.
6. During the Republic of China, due to the war, the development of Duanyan basically stopped, and only a few workshops carved Duanyan for a living.
7. After1949, with the concern and strong support of the government, in the 1960s and 1970s, three famous pits, Laokeng, Kengziyan and Mazikeng, were re-mined, which directly promoted the prosperity of Duanyan production, and the creation of Duanyan entered the most glorious period in the history of Duanyan. Modern Duanyan is rich in themes, including landscapes, figures, flowers and birds, etc. Political themes, historical events, and folk customs are all leading the way, and literary masterpieces, poems and songs, and calligraphy and painting are all competing on Duanyan. Modern Duanyan emphasizes the collection value and famous works. On the basis of tradition, natural inkstones and conformal inkstones are more popular.