When inkstone originated, there is no clear and fixed statement. But we know that the purpose of inkstone is to grind ink, so we can speculate that inkstone and ink are produced at the same time. Early inkstones were mainly pottery inkstones or tile inkstones, and of course there were inkstones. Before the Tang Dynasty, high-quality stones suitable for making inkstones were not found, so they were made and polished with ordinary pebbles, which failed to popularize. From the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, the pottery inkstone was the main material, and the pottery clay was used as the raw material. The production was fine, the texture was hard, the ink-making performance was excellent, and the sound was pure without sand holes and stones. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the materials and types of inkstone increased. In addition to the special ceramic tile inkstone, it is also very popular to make inkstone with old bricks from Qin and Han Dynasties. This kind of brick and tile in Qin and Han dynasties is mostly the remnants of the destroyed palace. The selected soil is extremely fine, the firing level is also extremely high, and it is not easy to break. According to legend, during the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao made a bronze sparrow terrace. After careful treatment, the soil for firing the terrace tile was mixed with walnuts and added with Dan, lead and tin. After firing, the inkstone is fine, smooth, firm and practical! No water seepage, good ink. "Four Books of the Study" records: "The bronze finch tile inkstone is as thin as stone, and it was important to make ink in ancient times but not to write it, but it is absolutely absent today." It can be seen that this kind of brick was regarded as a valuable material for making inkstone in ancient times. According to legend, Huang Tingjian, a calligrapher in the Song Dynasty, wrote an epitaph for Wang. His son took a bronze sparrow table tile as a reward, which is really a very expensive gift. Huang Tingjian loved it very much, and wrote an inscription for the made tile inkstone.
In the Tang and Song Dynasties, high-quality stones suitable for making inkstones were found everywhere, especially Fuke Mountain in the southeast of Duanzhou (now Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province) and Weilong Mountain under the jurisdiction of Zhangzhou (now Shexian County, Anhui Province), which were the top grades of inkstones. These stones are delicate and smooth, easy to color, and have beautiful patterns. Therefore, the production and use of inkstone are increasing day by day, and eventually it becomes the main category of inkstone. In the Song Dynasty, Duanyan, She Yan, Taohe and Hongsi inkstones were also called "the four famous inkstones", and the inkstones in these places were later protected as the source of excellent inkstones. For example, the Duanshikeng and Sheshikeng in the Yuan Dynasty had special guards, and ordinary people were not allowed to take inkstones. In the Ming Dynasty, these famous inkstone pits were banned from time to time. Even when mining is prohibited, many people take risks to steal inkstones, which often leads to the fine products in the famous inkstone pit being trampled casually. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Xiong, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, arbitrarily ordered his men to steal stones day and night, resulting in the destruction of many stone pits.
In the early years of Qing dynasty, the Qing government did not protect inkstone pits, so many inkstone pits were dug up at will. During the Qianlong period, due to the attention of the imperial court, all the stones that were difficult to dig before were dug out, many of which were high-quality famous products. Therefore, during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the inkstones were the best, with excellent patterns and textures. At the end of Qing Dynasty, Zhang Zhidong was appointed Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi and organized mining. Due to the introduction of some new mining technologies, a large number of inkstones have been obtained, many of which are large. The inkstones made of these stones are called "Zhangkeng Bay", and many of them are excellent treasures. Types of Famous Inks In ancient China, people made inkstones, and they chose a variety of inkstones. Generally, there are two kinds of stones and clay. The origin of inkstone was earlier, but it was not widely used before the Tang Dynasty, while mud-foot inkstone was more common from Han Dynasty to Tang Dynasty. In Biography of Mao Ying, it is said that Mao Ying is "friendly with Hongnong Taohong", which is a kind of ceramic inkstone. The inkstone we mentioned earlier is also a precious ceramic inkstone. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the ancients also used porcelain-making technology to make inkstones. Porcelain inkstone was very common in Song Dynasty, and its types and colors were also rich and varied, such as Longquan inkstone, celadon inkstone, blue inkstone, black inkstone made in kiln and so on. This kind of inkstone is mostly unearthed in archaeology, and the surface of the inkstone is not glazed, which is convenient for inking. In fact, it is a kind of inkstone between ceramics. Lacquer inkstone appeared in Han dynasty, but this kind of inkstone has never been seen in kind, only recorded in books. For example, in the Jin Dynasty, the emperor gave the lacquer inkstone to the prince. In addition, there are jade inkstones in ancient books, but most of them are rich things. For example, in Xijing Miscellanies, it is said: "The son of heaven takes jade as the inkstone and wine as the dripping book, which is not ice." In the Western Jin Dynasty, there was also a kind of "clam inkstone" with mussels as inkstones. Fu Xuan said in Inkstone Fu: "Although wood is expensive, it can be soft", indicating that there are also "wooden inkstones" made of wood, but there is no physical reference on how to make inkstones from wood. As for the metal inkstone, there are many records in ancient books, and Emperor Xiaojing of the Eastern Wei Dynasty has "outsmarted the copper inkstone". On the third lap, Cao Cao had "pure silver with round inkstone". Li Zhiyan, a poet in the Song Dynasty, also wrote: "Qingzhou iron inkstone is very dark and has a handle to hold".
In a word, there are many kinds of inkstones. Of course, the most common and practical inkstones are pottery inkstones and stone inkstones, especially stone inkstones. The following mainly introduces the famous products in pottery and inkstone according to the place of origin, and provides the necessary basic knowledge for antique lovers when collecting and identifying famous inkstones.
Mud inkstone is a precious variety in ceramic inkstone. Production began in the Tang Dynasty. The main producing area at that time was Zhou Guo (now Lingbao, Henan Province), and later it was transferred to Jiangxian County, Shanxi Province. It takes a lot of effort to make this method. First, put it in a silk cloth bag at the bottom of the river. After a year or so, the river mud has been packed in bags. Then slightly dry, and add Huang Dan and other materials. Then put it into a clay mold, compact it into a blank, carve it into the approximate shape of an inkstone with a bamboo knife, carve it with a metal carving knife, dry it in the sun, bake it into pottery with wheat bran, and add ink wax and rice vinegar after taking it out. Its texture is vertical, hard and fine, and it produces ink without hurting the meaning of the pen, which is praised by many predecessors. Gao Lian in the Ming Dynasty said: "Cheng Ni inkstone is the first, because it is as fine as stone and as hard as jade." Its nature is: "a spoonful of water will not dry up, and a hollow ink will not dry up in summer." The quality of inkstone can be identified from the color, eel yellow is the best, followed by green head and rose red. If there are spots on the yellow, they are called "sand spots", the big ones are called "douban sand" and the small ones are called "mung bean sand". It would be better if there were two kinds of spots, big and small. Later generations often make fake mud inkstones, but the raw materials, temperature and color can't meet the requirements of excellent brands. A little comparison can tell the truth from the false.
There are also many sculptures of Cheng Niyan, including landscapes, figures, flowers and birds, calligraphy, seals and so on. You can also make creative shapes according to poems, such as raising a glass to invite the moon, fishing alone in the cold river, having an affair with an almond, sailing alone, the moon and turquoise. Cheng Niyan was once extinct. /kloc-in the afternoon of 0/980, Xinjiang County (formerly Jiangzhou District) of Shaanxi Province cooperated with the provincial museum to develop Cheng Niyan and restore the traditional craft. One year later, the trial production was successful and basically reached the requirements of traditional technology. The expert appraisal of the Palace Museum in Beijing thinks that its color is elegant, its texture is moist, the first research is completely black in water, and the second research is more shiny, which gives a high evaluation.
Duanyan is produced in Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province, and its original stone is taken from the suburb of Fukeshan (also known as Lankeshan) in Jindu District, Gaoyao County and the area around Duan Xi River. Zhaoqing was called Duanzhou in ancient times, so the inkstone made of stone here is called Duanyan. According to legend, the inkstone here was first discovered in the Wude period of the Tang Dynasty, and was called "the first inkstone" at that time. Guangdong inkstone is as famous as She Yan, Yan Tao and Chengni inkstone platform, and it is also known as the four famous inkstones in China in history. Duanyan stone is fine, delicate, tender and moist, and the ink will not hurt the pen. Breathing can study the characteristics of ink. The best product in the end stone, because it has been soaked in water for many years, it is as warm as jade. "History of Duan Xi inkstone" says: "It is light in weight, firm and soft in original, silent and silent when rubbed, soft and tender but not slippery when pressed like children's skin".
The mining of Duanyan stone is divided into different potholes, and several of them (called Shuiyan and Daxidong in ancient times) produce the best stones. Stone was collected from the Tang Dynasty, and it was listed as a tribute in the late Tang Dynasty, so it was also called "Imperial Stone". Because this stone pit is soaked in water, it is also called "water rock". "Paper Ink inkstone" said: "Water stone is a natural stone, moist as jade, vivid with high eyes, distributed imaging, silent grinding, no water consumption, ink does not damage the author, and it is a treasure of the world." There is also a saying that "breathing can grind ink." In addition, there are other famous inkstone pits, such as Songkeng and Meihua Pit. The ink developed by Shi Yanhe is suitable for writing fluent, bold and vigorous Chinese characters. Songkeng was also called "General Pit" by the ancients, and quarrying began in the Northern Song Dynasty. This pit inkstone is purplish red with pig liver color, dense texture, and firm lubrication. The inkstone produced has famous products such as Venus Point. Meihuakeng, also known as "Jiulong Pit", started quarrying in the Song Dynasty. The inkstone is grayish yellow with plum blossom spots, hence the name. This inkstone pit is famous for its stone eyes. This pit began in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, and the stone is solid, delicate and delicate. There are also blue and white, banana leaf white and other famous products, especially starling eye, Ying Ge eye, wind eye and other stone eyes. Kengziyan; Mining since the Song Dynasty, its stone quality is exquisite and solid. This pit is famous for its many stone eyes, with inkstone as raw material, and its developed ink painting is most suitable for exquisite and rigorous meticulous brushwork and neat handwriting.
Distinguishing the quality of Duanyan stone has always paid attention to so-called stone products, such as azure. The history of Duan Xi inkstone says: "The sky is as blue as autumn rain, and the blue is boundless", which means crystal clear stone. The blue-and-white inkstone sinks into the water, and the water surface floats like duckweed. "The History of Duan Xi Inks" says, "Blue and white inkstones should be refined, not coarse, not dead, not exposed, not dizzy and not broken." According to the texture, fine dust is the top grade, followed by goose gizzard, ant foot third, and blue and white flowers are more precious. The origin is only Shuiyan, Mazikeng and Kengziyan. Fish brain jelly, its stone is delicate, tender, smooth, solid and moist, which is quite valuable. Banana leaves are white, as recorded in "History of Duan Xi inkstone": "Banana leaves are white, which is the tender part of the stone and is made of paste, so its color is white." Generally, the stones of this kind of products have purple bright fire mill and slightly swaying blue and white, among which dewdrop is the top grade, followed by selling vegetables, followed by yellow, banana, blue and gray. This is a very precious variety in Duanshi. Emerald, with emerald stripes on the stone, not round eyes. This kind of markings was called "blue veins" by the ancients. In Yanpu, Duan Xi, it is said that "the blue veins must have eyes" and "the blue veins are called eye veins". Therefore, the green vein is usually accompanied by stone eyes, which is a more precious variety in Duan. Ice particles, hairspring and cobweb-like white halo in the end stone, with traces but no traces, mostly occur in Taixi Cave in water rock, which is a treasure in the end stone. In addition, there are ice patterns, which are even rarer, such as waterfalls, water mist and fire. When the fire hits, the end stone looks like a fire condensation line, in which the purple rain is reddish, deep in the middle and shallow in the outside, which is called the ship fat dizzy fire rubbing, which is the top grade in the fire rubbing; The striped line is called ponytail fire; Deep purple, oval is pig liver jelly; Purple with black is called iron, which is inferior because of its hard texture. Stone eye; This is a round spot like the eyes of birds and animals, which grows on the end stone soil. Stone eyes cannot be smaller than size. There are many colors, such as green, green yellow, beige and so on. One of the buildings, refreshed and dizzy outside, twisted into several floors. The person who reaches the top is the elder brother's eye and the top grade in the stone's eye. Young is Ying Ge's eyes; No matter how small it is, it is also a mung bean eye. The eyes of the heavy rain pupil are called cat's eyes; Those who are dizzy like water stains around the eyes or under the eyes are called tears; Moreover, the periphery of the eye is not obvious, the level is unclear, and there is no pupil in the center, which is called dead eye, not as good as stone eye. There is a saying that "life is better than tears, tears are better than death, and death is better than nothing". Stone eyes born outside the inkstone pool are called high eyes, and those born inside the inkstone pool are called low eyes. High eyes are better than low eyes.
She inkstone is produced in the stream around Weilong Mountain in Wuyuan, Jiangxi Province (ancient Anhui Province), so it is called "Weilong inkstone" and is one of the "four famous inkstones" in China. In ancient times, Zhou She also produced brush stone, Qimen Rona stone and so on. But the stone quality in Wei Long is the best, so She Yan is famous for its Weilong inkstone. Hong Jingbo, a poet in the Song Dynasty, recorded in his book She Yan that Weilong inkstone was discovered in the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, and there is another story. At that time, there was a hunter named Ye. One day, he hunted in a place called the Great Wall. Seeing the clean and beautiful stones here, he took a piece back and roughly processed it into an inkstone shape. After grinding ink, it was found that this stone inkstone was better than the Duan inkstone that people generally valued at that time, so it was treasured. Later, his descendants gave this quick inkstone to the county magistrate, who felt very good after using it and ordered craftsmen to carve it into an inkstone. Since then, news of high-quality inkstones has spread and people have been mining them. Officials in Zhou She presented Weilong inkstone as a treasure to China leader Li Wei, who attached great importance to it. Su Dongpo loved Wei Long inkstone very much and wrote many poems about its temporary beauty. Huang Tingjian even said in the poem "Out of the Mountain": "The sun flies to Venus, and the clouds are colorful." He thinks that Wei Long's famous Jinxing stone inkstone is better than Swiss purple inkstone. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, boron production almost completely stopped. Some inksmiths just picked up some residual stones left by the previous generation at the edge of the cliff and carved them into inkstones for sale. However, they are far from the real Wei Long inkstone, and they have not been officially mined for 200 years after Ganlong. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to see the real dragon-tailed inkstone in the antique market now. So the real ancient dragon tail inkstone is extremely rare and precious.