The Four Treasures – Page 3

The Four Treasures: Paper, i

Throughout the world, since ancient times, record keeping and writing have been important for whatever reasons. Finding a surface for the writing was essential, and that surface needed to be smooth and permanent. In the Middle East, clay tablets were used to preserve records. Egyptians developed papyrus. The West and the East developed similar paper-making processes. In both methods, various types of fibers, or pulp, were suspended in water and possibly other chemicals or ingredients. The pulp, suspended in water, is then placed onto a screen. The screen is shaken, the pulp spreads across the screen, the screen is lifted, and the water drains out. The pulp is left behind, and a piece of paper is created.

Traditionally-made Asian papers differ from western papers, even though the manufacturing process is similar. The difference is the types of plants used to create the paper. In the west, cotton paper was the most common until the invention of large-scale wood pulp paper in the 1800s. Handmade paper in the west is still usually based on cotton lint, although other materials can be added to it. In Japan, the handmade paper tradition continues, although costs rise as materials and paper makers become more scarce.

The following video shows traditional Japanese paper – washi – being made after all the labor-intensive prep work has been done.

The Four Treasures: Ink, i

Ink sticks – sumi sticks – are made in China and Japan, and most likely in Korea as well. Bottled ink is also available, but lacks many of the qualities preferred by traditional painters and calligraphers. Pouring ink from a bottle is not the same as being able to take the time grind a fine stick on a lovely stone, to enjoy the task, and focus one’s energy. Most ink is also poorly made, and contains chemicals which can damage a fine brush or stone. It is very important that if you do use bottled ink that you wash your brush thoroughly afterward, blot it, and reshape the point prior to hanging it to dry.

In this video, the artist Hirokazu Kosaka discusses ink sticks. While he does not go into great detail about their production, he does show some interesting elements of their construction and packaging. Opening a pawlonia wood box, he shows a “color” chart for the sumi stick. The light and dark capabilities of the ink are demonstrated on a piece of paper inside the box lid. He also shows the mold used to create the ink stick. Many ink sticks are embossed with symbols or pictures, which are later colored with gold or silver or colored paint.

The quality of a sumi stick varies, from very poor (as is most sold in the U.S.) to student grade, to professional. They also vary in size and shape, from very small to very large and colored. There is some argument as to which is better, the Japanese or Chinese; I have both and will say that the professional quality Japanese sumi is one I prefer. I also have some Chinese ink sticks, and their quality tends to fluctuate. Also, the Japanese ink tends to be a bluer-black color, while the Chinese ink is more brown-black. Both have their beauty.

According to Wikipedia:

Inksticks (Chinese: 墨 pinyin: mò; Japanese: 墨 sumi), sometimes known as sumi (Japanese transliteration), are a type of solid ink used traditionally in several East Asian cultures for calligraphy and brush painting. Inksticks are made mainly of soot and animal glue, sometimes with incense or medicinal scents added. To make ink from the inkstick, it has to be continuouly ground against an inkstone with a small quantity of water to produce a dark liquid which is then applied with an ink brush. Artists and calligraphists may vary the thickness of the resulting ink according to their preferences by reducing or increasing the intensity and time of ink grinding.m Sumi sticks after it has been used), and delivered.

Ink sticks need to age, just as wine. A well-made sumi stick may be very old and very valuable. Commercially, such ink sticks are available, but not readily in the U.S. or Europe. There are various importers, but as the market is limited, they are unlikely to carry the variety available in China or Japan.

Most ink sticks sold in the U.S. are inexpensive ones, whether originating from Japan or China. If you cannot grind a dark ink in a moderate amount of time, if there are grainy particles which scratch your stone, you do not have an ink stick worth using as far as I am concerned.

This video from Yang Hai Ying (“yanghaiying” on YouTube) gives a few more details about the manufacture of ink sticks:

And finally, another one by Yang Hai Ying showing both bottled and stick ink:

For us ink stick lovers, it would be sheer heaven to walk into a shop filled with ones to choose!

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.

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.

The Four Treasures: Inkstone / Suzuri, iii

Akama Inkstones

The website www.kougei.or.jp is particularly informative about various trades and crafts in Japan. This is what they have to say about the Akama suzuri:

Records exist showing that an Akama inkstone was offered at the Tsuruoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura at the beginning of the Kamakura period (1185-1333). By the middle of the Edo period (1600-1868) these inkstones were being sold up and down the country. By the time that Mori was leading the local clan, unauthorized people were prohibited from mining the stone from which these inkstones were made and should one be needed as a gift at such times at the Sankin Kotai, when feudal lords travelled to live in Edo, permission to mine the stone had to be given by the head of the clan. This made it quite difficult to obtain one of these much prized inkstones from the Choshu clan.

Akama inkstones possess all the right qualities of a good inkstone. The stone is hard and it has a close grain. It is beautifully patterned and is soft enough to work. The hobo on which the ink stick is ground has a close grain helping to produce ink quickly and of the best quality in terms of color and luster. These inkstones are now being produced by 7 firms employing 15 people, 2 of whom are government recognized Master Craftsmen.

The Akama suzuri is characterized by a deep red brick color. It is a hard stone which lends itself well to detailed carving. The Akama stone I own measures about 5 x 7.5 inches (12.5 x 20 cm), is quite heavy, and has a large area for grinding ink, and depressions on either side of it which lead to the well. The carving is clean and crisp, as well as rather cleverly executed with the grapes hiding in the well itself.

Recalling the “breath test” of yesterday’s entry, I breathed on the grinding surface a couple of times. It was absorbed very quickly when compared to the She stone. This stone takes more effort to create ink than does the gourd-shaped stone, and perhaps this is the reason why. When I tilt in the sun, there are few sparkles of pyrites, which are found in a good stone – there is something about pyrites and the ink stick interacting…. Anyhow, this is still a lovely stone, but admittedly, not my favorite for grinding ink.

There are some design elements in this stone which I really like. I like having a “moat” on either side of the grinding surface, as it allows me to create little areas of greyer tones once the darker ink is on the central plain. The plain itself has a shall indentation in the center, which rises a bit before curving steeply into the well beneath the grape leaves. This allows for a puddling of ink without it flowing into the well.

These next two pictures show the carving a bit more in detail, taken at different angles.

Finally, there is some writing on the back which I should get translated. You can see it on the reverse image at the top. These are the images, enlarged, from top to bottom.

This link will bring you to a page with a number of Akama inkstones, along with some rather hefty prices! Click on each inkstone image to see it enlarge – here you will really see the art of the carved suzuri.