The four treasures of the study are ink that cannot be exchanged for gold.
The Four Treasures of the Study are unique Chinese calligraphy and painting tools (calligraphy and painting utensils), namely pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. The name "Four Treasures of the Study" originated from the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Historically, the objects referred to by the "Four Treasures of the Study" have changed frequently. In the Southern Tang Dynasty, the "Four Treasures of the Study" specifically referred to Zhuge's brush in Xuancheng, Anhui, Li Tinggui's ink in Huizhou, Anhui, Chengxintang paper in Huizhou, Anhui, and Longwei inkstone in Wuyuan, Huizhou, Anhui. Ink is called gold and cannot be exchanged, which comes from the "Mo Jing": Any ink used every day will be reduced by half after one year. If this is the case, it will not be exchanged for ten thousand gold. Mo's name became Mo's name, which means that a good Mo will never be replaced by a piece of gold.
From the making of cigarette materials to the final product, there are multiple processes such as glue filling, mixing, steaming and pestle, and there is also a molding process. The carving of the ink mold is an important process and an artistic creative process.
The history of ink
According to legend, ink production began during the reign of King Zhou Xuan of the Zhou Dynasty, and "ink books" written with ink were also found on the oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty that were unearthed. But according to archeology, the earliest physical objects we can find now are "mo pills" unearthed from ancient tombs in the Qin and Han Dynasties.
Mrs. Wei, a famous female calligrapher in the Jin Dynasty and Wang Xizhi’s master, once said in her book "Bi Zhen Tu": "The material of this ink is the pine smoke after burning pine trees in Lushan Mountain, adding The glue made from the antlers of the previous dynasty was as hard as stone after 10 years of storage."
Jia Sixie of the Northern Wei Dynasty also recorded how to make ink in "Qi Min Yao Shu": " In order to make good ink, you must not only pay attention to the ink fume used, but also choose the glue used in making the ink. For high-quality ink, pearl powder, musk and other drugs are also added to enhance the gloss and color of the ink to remove the ink. The peculiar smell in the ink increases the fragrance of the ink."
At the end of the Tang Dynasty, two masters of making ink ingots appeared. Xi Chao and Xi Tinggui, father and son, were world-famous ink makers at that time. Later, the Xi family moved to today's She County, Anhui Province. When he was in She County, Xi Tinggui was appointed as an ink officer by Li Yu, the later master of the Southern Tang Dynasty, responsible for making ink for the royal family. In order to commend Xi Tinggui, Li Yu gave Xi Tinggui the surname Li, so later generations also called him Li Tinggui.