Author: -N-

The Four Treasures: Inkstone / Suzuri, v

I have a small collection of inkstones / suzuri. A few I have paid a lot for (for me), and others have been incredibly inexpensive. Some are really poor as far as usefulness, some mediocre, and some surprisingly good for the small amount they cost. Several years ago I bought an excellent stone for $5.00 in an artist supply store. It is a real stone suzuri. Another one I bought a few years ago is not an outstanding stone, but a bit of work made it into a very usable stone. That is the subject of today’s entry.

The Phoenix Stone

I bought this stone on eBay about three years ago, paying about $15.00 for a stone which was never used. The gal I bought it from got it in Hong Kong about twenty years earlier, as a memento of her trip. That said, I wasn’t too sure about it, but liked the carving on it and bought it anyway. It must be understood that many inkstones are made for the tourist industry, are not usable, and most will not be worth more than use as a paper weight or other decorative item. This stone measures 5.25 x 8 inches (13.5 x 20 cm).

This stone is actually pretty good – much better than I expected. When it arrived, there was some sort of coating on it, which did not work at all well with hand grinding an inkstick. I decided to re-read some directions I got awhile back about how to make a stone usable – if it could be made usable at all. The goal was to remove the coating, try the stone, and then finish the stone’s grinding surface if necessary.

Buying a New Stone

When buying a stone to use, the first thing to look for in a stone is whether or not there is a slight glint, or sparkle, in the sun. Tilt the stone this way and that. What is needed is a bit of sparkle, and hopefully that sparkle is copper pyrite, which, according to my source in Japan, is necessary for good ink stick-ink stone connection. This stone has that glint.

Preparing to Refinish / Polish a New Inkstone or Suzuri

To refinish a suzuri is not difficult, though it might be rather scary if you like the stone. This inkstone was unused, so this description is for a new stone that does not seem optimal.

Because this stone was not dirty, with old ink stuck to it, I simply washed it soap and water, using Dawn dish detergent as it is good at cutting grease. I let it soak a bit in hot water, soapy water, and then used a 3M brand green scrubber on it. I did not apply a lot of pressure to the surface, but used just a gentle swirling motion. Once washed, I rinsed it, and let it dry a day before grinding sumi. The resulting ink was okay, but not particularly fine. The surface of the stone felt rather rough, so I decided to sand it down.

Polishing the Inkstone / Suzuri

Sandpaper is not to be used on an inkstone, but fine grit wet-dry paper is needed. This is usually a grey-colored paper, available in good hardware stores, and manufactured by 3M. It comes in varying grits, but to begin with, use nothing less than 600 or 800, and do the final polish with 1000-2000. What you choose to use will vary with the stone, and how much energy you want to put into it. I like a smoother finish, but with a coarse-grained stone will require a bit of gentle elbow grease. The paper shown is what I have used, and am pleased with the results.

Before you begin, run your fingertips over the surface of the stone. This way you will know what your stone feels like before beginning.

When I polish a stone, I go outside. With me comes a basin of water, the paper, the stone, an old bath towel, and table. Place the stone on the towel to protect the table, and to collect any dirty water from the sanding process. Put water on the stone’s surface, and using the coarser papers, begin rubbing the surface in light, circular movements. Don’t put a lot of pressure on the stone, but let the paper do its job. Proceed systematically over the entire surface. Rinse off the particles of stone and paper as needed in the basin of water as they accumulate, and continue. Test the surface of the stone with your fingertips – you should be able to feel the difference. Rinse off your stone, wash and rinse again, and let it dry.

Grind some ink, and notice the quality of the particles. Also notice the quality of your inkstick. If you have a poor inkstick it won’t produce particularly good ink – it will be coarse-grained, and take a long time to produce dark ink. There may be rough spots in it. These rough spots are impurities or contaminants, and can actually gouge your stone. Stop if you find something like this, pick it out, and try again. Remember – you can ruin a good stone with an inferior inkstick.

The key element is patience. Sand down the stone, wash and rinse it, let it dry. Run your fingers over the stone, checking for a smooth finish throughout the entire grinding surface. Try your ink. If you are content, stop. If you want a finer ink, continue using finer papers until you are pleased. Don’t try for a shiny, polished surface. There needs to be some “bite” on the surface for the inkstick so it may be ground into fine particles.

The Phoenix Arises!

I spent a few days polishing out this stone. I used several grits of paper on it before I was content. This stone produces a dark ink in a fairly short amount of time. The surface is flat, without puddling, and the well holds a nice amount of water. Because there is no slope on the stone, I use the water to dilute ink when painting. I add water from a suiteki or sucky-cup (plastic cup with a built-in straw, made by Rubbermaid) in small amounts as I grind ink. The large grinding surface makes for a relaxing “grind” – small surfaces make me tense up.

This stone has a rather greasy quality to it, which is why it is not one of my favorite stones. I expect it has something to do with the type of stone it is.  Little spots of white appear on its surface for no known reason.  Nonetheless, a stone which was not at all usable, in my opinion, has become functional, and under the right circumstances, pleasurable to use.

Independence Day

Well, my trip to the Huntington is canceled until tomorrow, the 5th.  We forgot about the holiday!  So, instead of gazing at artwork and gardens, I will be planting some herbs and ground cover this morning, and grilling a lamb shish kebab which has been marinating since last night.

Sentimental?

As life and times seem to get increasingly more complicated, I often wish for a life that is less so.  I expect this is just a purely sentimental and unrealistic thought as I imagine about how uncomplicated life was out on the prairies in the late 1800s.

A couple of years ago, we drove from California to Wisconsin to visit family, taking a month to do it.  We took the I-80 through the middle of the country, traveling through places like Nevada, Wyoming, Nebraska and into Illinois.  I spent my childhood in rural Illinois, and having lived so long now in the dry climate of California, I forget the lushness and green-ness of trees and fields, as well as the humidity, of the midwest in summer.  We came back along the I-90, and driving through Minnesota and South Dakota, I was pulled by the openess of the prairies.

Of course, life was not easy in the last part of the 1800s out on the prairies.  The Little House series of books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane, point this out.  Still, life had a much slower pace.  There weren’t cell phones, cars, computers.  Certainly there were far less people per square mile.  Too, women could not vote, diseases got you, and housework was a dreadful chore.  Today, we have survived world wars, and are currently swimming along with increasing unemployment, lack of health insurance, and state and federal budgets that are scary for their deficits and overspending.  Other parts of the world are overwhelmed by religious fanatics and political despots.

In the 1880s there were similar problems, affecting a smaller population, but still as devastating.  Local problems did not have the global impact they have now.  I rather like the idea of being less caught up in global problems, but I don’t know that I want to wash my clothes in the river or have to slaughter my own chickens, much less be caught up in the societal strictures of the times, like clothing.  In 100 degree weather, corsets and long-sleeved dresses do not hold much appeal!  At least today I can wear shorts!  Yet the allure of a simpler life still holds.

Independence

In short, then, I really do wish I was not so dependent upon others, and less impacted by global events.  Nonetheless, I love having a washing machine, a garbage disposal, indoor plumbing, antibiotics, and the internet.

Independence nowadays may mean taking risks to create your own life, and find a zone of quiet in all the ruckus of the world. This may be far more difficult than it was in the last part of the 19th century….

Excursion: Treasures through Six Generations

Tomorrow I will be heading down to the Huntington Library with a friend.  This is a rather pleasant, serendipitous excursion because while in South Pasadena, at Gus’s, I saw a poster for this exhibit, Treasures through Six Generations:  Chinese Painting and Calligraphy from the Weng Collection. In the back of my mind I thought it would be worthwhile seeing, but not sure if I could organize my life enough to get to it.  The biggest intimidation factor is I just don’t like driving in L.A. traffic!  I’ll be meeting up with my excursion buddy in the valley, and as I am driving the first half, chauffering will be provided the rest of the way.

The Weng Collection has an interesting history behind it.   According to the press release of Feb.23, 2009 from Huntington:

The history of the Weng family and their art collection reads like an epic novel, mirroring the tumult of 19th- and 20th-century China and its ensuing diaspora. Assembled primarily in the second half of the 19th century, the collection is legendary not only for its superb selection—it contains masterpieces of brush and ink spanning 900 years—but also for the remarkable individuals who have been responsible for its formation and safe-keeping. The works of art have survived repeated dynastic changes, protracted warfare, and journeys across continents, remaining almost miraculously unscathed under the care of this family.

The Weng collection has been in the same family for six generations, beginning with Weng Xincun (1791–1862). Xincun’s son Weng Tonghe (1830–1904) and the collection’s current owner, Wan-go Weng (b. 1918), are particularly celebrated for their remarkable achievements.Weng Tonghe, the family patriarch who formed the nucleus of the collection,was a preeminent figure in late Qing China.He rose to prominence when he placed first in the 1856 metropolitan exams for the jinshi degree and became a zhuangyuan (“First Scholar of the Nation,” as Wan-go Weng likes to say). Weng went on to tutor two emperors, Tongzhi (r.1862–74) and Guangxu (r. 1875–1908). The latter studied with him for a total of 24 years and regarded him as his closest adviser. In addition, Weng also held some of the highest positions in the government. He is remembered in history as the leader of the pro-war faction during the Sino-Japanese war in 1894–1895 and, through his introduction of the radical reformer Kang Youwei (1858–1927) to Guangxu, for his early influence on the emperor’s Hundred Days’Reform in 1898.

Weng Tonghe’s collection was passed down to Wan-go Weng, who brought it to the United States in 1948. Wan-go Weng is himself a modern-day Renaissance man—filmmaker,poet, scholar and civic leader—whose English films and publications on Chinese history and art have been widely influential among both scholars and general readers. Under his leadership in the mid 1980s, the New York–based China Institute rebuilt its reputation as one of the leading centers for the promotion of Chinese culture in the United States . . . .

The gardens at the Huntington Library are renown.  There are themed gardens, such as a Chinese one which is a perfect parallel for the Weng exhibit, a Japanese garden, a desert garden, a Shakespeare garden, and more.  If you want to see what is in bloom, for instance, this month, you can click here.

I’ve lived in California most of my adult life, within close proximity of the Huntington – never more than 100 miles – but this is my first trip, and I’m as excited as a kid going to Disneyland!

The Four Treasures: Inkstone / Suzuri, iv

Ogatsu Inkstones

Another famous Japanese inkstone is the Ogatsu.  The stone is a dark grey-black stone, to pure black. It is a type of slate which lends itself well to detailed carving.  The stone is about 200-300 million years old, and is quarried in Kitakami mountain, near the city from which these suzuri take their name.

This video shows the carving of a traditional suzuri.

According to the website http://www.kougei.or.jp,

. . . the origins of the Ogatsu inkstone can be traced back to the Muromachi period (1392-1573). Then, at the beginning of the 17th century, two inkstones were presented to the military commander, Date Masamune, who was on a deer hunt on Toojima, an island off the Ojika Peninsular. It seems that he was highly delighted with the stones and reciprocated generously. Date’s son, Tadamune, also recognized the skill with which these inkstones were fashioned and engaged craftsmen to make inkstones for the clan. It then seems that he placed the mine from which the stone was sourced under a monopoly and did not allow outsiders to mine there.

The most important part of an inkstone is the houbou, or bed on which an ink stick is rubbed in a little water. It is the texture and perfect degree of hardness of this surface which is a particular feature of the Ogatsu inkstones. The stones are made from a type of slate and are either black or a deep indigo in color, have a rich luster and a smooth surface. Some highly fashioned, others are almost as they were mined. In all, 26 firms employ 88 people who are engaged in making these inkstones and there are also 4 government recognized Master Craftsmen.

These stones are elaborately carved, with lids, as well as left in a more natural shape. The photos below gives you an idea of the range in which they are produced.

Yarns of the City – 27 June 2009

Anacapa Fine Yarns

This weekend Anacapa Fine Yarns celebrates its 5th birthday.  And what a party it is!  On Saturday, Judy (my MIL) and I wandered over, planning on some damage occurring to the budgets.  We got in a bit later than the 10:00 a.m. opening – not much later, just 30 minutes – and the place was packed!

Lois started this store after working in a large accounting firm for years, and the years of “taking care of the books” certainly showed in her foresight.  Anacapa has been able to grow with the business. Lois is a cheerful, friendly person – sunny and funny – and greets many of her customers by name.

The store has a lot of floor space, natural light, good artificial light, and cosy feel.  In the front is most of the yarn, with plenty of room for new shipments, books, buttons, needles and notions. There are knitting bags, bits of fluffy wool for spinners, and yarns for all budgets and tastes. In the far corner are the books, with a small, circular table where you can sit, knit, chat, and look at patterns.  In the back is an even larger room, for classes, and more yarn (what else?).  Lois has had trunk shows, authors, teachers, as well as monthly and on-going classes.

As the years have gone by, more yarn has come in, wonderful employees, and a group of friendly fans make this a great place for knitters to congregate.  Customer service is always available, and I have never had a bad moment here – until I look at all the woolly seduction!  Then – well – you know how that is!  Choices!  And some – just some – self-control!!

And the sale? Well, you can see how crowded it was. The line was verrrry long! Judy and I each got sock yarn. Judy got some grey-green-blue Koigu, and I got some ocean-blue-green. Judy also got a lovely sock yarn that was creamy with other colors dispersed through it. I also picked up a nice ball of manly Tofutsies for the esposo, and some – finally! – Mini Mochi in greens.

Anacapa is a gem of a yarn store, and if you are up in Ventura, California, don’t forget to visit.  They are open 6 days a week – closed on Monday.  The newsletter is published regularly – take a look and see what’s happening and who is showing up.

Happy 5th, Anacapa!