Inkstick, China Art, Chinese Painting-artchinahub.com

The ink stick is a unique pigment of Chinese traditional painting and calligraphy. At the beginning, natural ink or half-natural ink was widely used. The artificial ink appeared during the Han Dynasty. At that time, the most famous ink-stick was Yumi-mo' produced at Qi anyang and Shaanxi. The raw materials of ink stick were pine, oil and lacquer.

Before the Five Dynasties, the ink-producing center was in the Northern China, and then it gradually reached the South. The most Famous South ink-stick is Hui mo' produced in Huizhou of Anhui Province.

The Chinese character Mo come from a black mineral. It's the word "black" with the word "soil" at the bottom. At the initial stage natural black mineral stone or half-natural black stone was generally used. It was during the Han that artificial ink appeared. At that time the most famous ink-stick was produced at Qianyang, Shangxi. By Tang dynasty, it moved to Shanxi, then to southern Anhui -- She Zhou -- Currently She county -- our hometown. Later She Zhou was changed to the name of Hui Zhou. This is how the famous Hui Inkstick name came from. Hui inkstick is created by Li, Tinggui. Li, Tinggui's original last name was Xi. He was born in He Bei Yi County. Because of the war, the inkstick making is interrupted. His father escaped to Hang Zhou in the south mainly use the pine trees near Jiu Li Mountain to make the inksticks.But they were not so satisfied with the quality. Han Zhou is only over a hundred miles to Huangshan. They had heard from people that Huangshan had thousands year old pine trees. So then the whole family moved to She Zhou. After long time of study, they found the burned soot from the Transparent Lacquer Oil on the pine trees in the deep mountains of She Zhou makes the best raw materials for inkstick. So they settled permanently in She zhou, later named Hui Zhou.

But then he was always not so satisfied with the glue used for mixing the soot. One day while he was boiling the Chinese medicine for his wife, he found out that the very known expensive female tarnishing E Gao after it's melted is very sticky, he realized this might just what he needed. So he forgot to make the medicine for his wife, instead he mixed them into the ink soot. The inkstick made from this sure is full bodied, fine, smooth, and with great shades like the lacquer. Late Tang Emperor Li, Yu heard of this event, asked for two pieces of his inksticks, painted two carps. The fish on the painting looked really alive. Emperor Li was very proud, so he established a branch office of "Mo", Xi Tinggui was honered the last name of the royal family, and was the official in charge of the "Mo" branch in the region of Hui Zhou. This is how the Li, Tinggui inkstick maker became known and recorded in history. At that time the economy in Hui Zhou is very prosperous, Hui merchants were all over China. Through them, Hui inkstick, especially Li, Tinggui inkstick became very famous.

Up to Qing dynasty, Hui inkstick reaches it's pinnacle point. There were four famous inkstick Hui makers were known all over the world. They were Shugong Cao, Jishen Wang, Jieang Wang, and Kaiwen Hu. From Anhui museum, all of these maker's inksticks can be seen.

Hu, Kaiwen's original name was Hu, Yude, came from a very poor family, being a cooker's helper at a Mo store in Tunxi (the current capital of Hui Zhou) when he was only 12 years old. By 16 years old, he became the apprentice for the store. He was a diligent boy, memorized everything by the heart. When he was 21 years old, the store went bankrupt. The owner paid him the store front and all the tools for all the wages that they owed to him. Hu suddenly became the owner of the store. He asked a lot of scholars to give a good name for the store. None was what he liked. One day when he was passing by a little bridge with a pavilion on the bridge. There were four calligraphy writings on it ---- Hong Kai Wen Yun, he read it again and again. Felt it was meaningful. So he changed the store name to: Hu, Kai Wen. Ever since, his store name also became his name remembered by everyone. Hu had 8 or 9 sons. They all engaged in Hui inkstick business. There had chain stores all over China. This is why Hu, Kaiwen mo is so known in China.

A well treated ink stick can last for long time for moderate uses. Wipe it clean and let it air dry after each use. A high-grade ink stick comes with a glass box, which can prevent it from accident. Always store it in a dry place and avoid direct sunlight and draft.

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