A Fine Chinese Black 'Duan' Stone Inkstone
A Fine Chinese Black ‘Duan’ Stone Inkstone of brick form with a Zitan wood cover
18th Century – Qing Dynasty 1736 -95
Size: 15 cm long, 9 cm wide, 3.5 cm high – 6 ins long, 3½ ins wide, 1½ ins high
18th Century – Qing Dynasty 1736 -95
Size: 15 cm long, 9 cm wide, 3.5 cm high – 6 ins long, 3½ ins wide, 1½ ins high
A good inkstone was one of the 'four treasures' of the Chinese scholars studio, and they were cherished to be handed down through generations.
The inkstone was an indispensable tool of the Chinese scholar, needed to provide the surface upon which the inkstick is ground and mixed with water to form the ink solution used in painting and writing. The stone itself was selected for texture and for the degree of friction created when the inkstick was rubbed onto its surface. Many scholars believed that in the process of grinding a little bit of the stone is also ground into the ink solution enhancing its colour and substance. 'Duan' stone is reputed to generate and maintain moisture when the ink is ground on its surface, thereby controlling the degree of absorption and evaporation of the ink.
The inkstone was an indispensable tool of the Chinese scholar, needed to provide the surface upon which the inkstick is ground and mixed with water to form the ink solution used in painting and writing. The stone itself was selected for texture and for the degree of friction created when the inkstick was rubbed onto its surface. Many scholars believed that in the process of grinding a little bit of the stone is also ground into the ink solution enhancing its colour and substance. 'Duan' stone is reputed to generate and maintain moisture when the ink is ground on its surface, thereby controlling the degree of absorption and evaporation of the ink.
A Fine Chinese Black 'Duan' Stone Inkstone
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