Tag: suzuri

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.

The Four Treasures: Inkstone / Suzuri, ii

She Inkstones

I bought this stone with the understanding that it is a She inkstone, from Anhui in China.  The box, as you can see, is custom-made to the shape of the stone, which is carved into the shape of a gourd.  Measurements of the stone are about 8 x 3 inches (20 x 7.5 cm), with the inside of the well about 4 x 2.5 inches (10 x 6.3 cm).  This stone is smooth and hard, and easily grinds ink into very fine particles.  The back of the stone is a bit lopsided, so it wobbles when ink is being ground.  I solved this problem by placing a small piece of folded felt under the wobbly area.

According to Cao Jieming, vice manager of She Ink Stone Factory, She inkstones have some distinctive characteristics:

The She ink stone is hard but smooth, with a clear and dense texture. While touching it, it feels like the skin of a baby. Good She ink stones do not absorb water. On cold days, if you breathe on it, the water may form on the ink stone and it can be used to grind ink.

Other people make the same claim – that by breathing on an inkstone, if the moisture from your breath is quickly absorbed, the stone is too porous.  I tried this, and the moisture from my breath remained visible on the stone for over a minute.  When I wiped my finger across the area I breathed on, a small puddle of water appeared.

If you do a web search about She inkstones, you will learn a lot about them.  They are prized for the quality of the stone, as well as the minerals which are embedded into the stones.  These markings are given a variety of names, such as Gold Star, Small Water Wave, Fish Egg.  A skilled craftsman will work to bring out the beauty of these markings while making an excellent inkstone.

She inkstones vary in color, from green, to grey, to black.

My Gourd-Shaped Inkstone

My stone is a deep grey-black, and is quite hard.  There are swirls darker grey throughout the stone.  The upper part of this stone is carved into leaves, with the lower end containing the well representing a gourd.  (Or maybe a squash?)  The carving is very smooth and clean, as you can see from the picture, moving gracefully from the leaves into the gourd and well of the stone.

The stone is also very thin, measuring no more than 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. When tapped, the stone gives a pleasant, metallic sound.

The reverse side of this stone shows some greenish streaks, as well as bits of gold color. Pyrites, if I remember correctly, are necessary in good inkstones. The image below is on the reverse of the stone, beneath the well. Notice the colors, spots, and striations in the stone.

This next image is from the reverse, upper part of the stone, beneath the carved leaves.

Even closer, you can see the stone’s characteristics.

For me, learning about the tools I use is important as it gives me a greater appreciation for it in so many ways: respect for the artisan and his/her skills, respect for the history of the tool, respect for the beauty within the tool itself. To care properly for the inkstone is to honor it, its history, and its place in my own creative endeavors.

The Four Treasures: Inkstone / Suzuri, i

I am not an expert on inkstones. I own a few, most of which I have used, and some I like better than others. My most expensive is perhaps the best, although recently I acquired one which I have still not tried. A cheap inkstone is simply a cheap inkstone, and worthless. An inexpensive inkstone is not cheap, just a bargain, and a pleasure to use!

A Little History of the Inkstone

In the “kanji countries” – that is, eastern Asian countries with a tradition of brush and ink as writing implements – inkstones were developed to grind ink sticks. If you think of sandpaper, you will understand the underlying principle of the inkstone, which is to grind away the ink into fine particles which are dissolved in water. The finer the grit of the sandpaper, the finer the grit of the ground ink. A poor inkstone will not do the job it is intended to do. A fine inkstone may be ruined by a poor ink stick, so taking care to choose high quality stone and ink is important to the artist and calligrapher.

According to various websites, there is archeological evidence of inkstone usage in China as far back as 5000 years. In Japan, the arrival of the inkstone – the suzuri – came later, as Chinese and Japanese cultures made contact. Inkstones have been excavated in Japan which date to the 8th century, and 1998 at the Tawayama site in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, the finding of the Chinese inkstone parts suggests articles related to writing were introduced to Japan via the Korean Peninsula much earlier than previously thought – about 100 A.D.  Inkstones are usually made of stone, but have also been made of ceramic, tile, clay, porcelain, jade, iron, copper, silver, wood, lacquer, and bamboo.

There are many areas throughout China, Japan and Korea noted for the quality of stone for inkstones. A good inkstone will quickly grind ink into very fine particles, will not absorb the water used to grind the ink, and not harm the brush. The mineral content and character of the inkstone influences the fineness of ink particles, as well as the blackness of the ink.

Two Chinese stones I have and used include the Duan and She stones from China. Duan (Chinese: duanshi. Japanese: tankei) is a volcanic stone, or tuff. The colors range from reddish to purple. The She stone is from China (Japanese: kyu), and is a form of slate. Both stones may have markings throughout, which are considered to increase the value and beauty of the stone.

In Japan, according to a contact, there are no more mines today which are capable of producing good inkstones, and the best stones are imported from China and carved by Japanese artisans. Nonetheless, in Japan, there Akama and Ogatsu inkstones. The Akama stone is reddish in color, with a hard, fine grain. The Ogatsu stone is black, and allows for detail in carving. It, too, is a hard stone with a fine grain. I have both Akama and Ogatsu stones.

Parts of the Inkstone

An inkstone is not just a practical tool, but a work of art in itself, whether simple and functional, or richly carved. Generally speaking, an inkstone will have a large, flat area for the ink, and a slope leading to a well for water. A small amount of water is placed in the well, and using the bottom of the ink stick, water is pulled onto the flat surface where the grinding of ink occurs. I often will sprinkle a bit of water onto the flat surface of the stone, begin the grinding of the ink, and pull more water up as needed. A stone with a large flat surface can help the artist localize different shades of grey, and the well may be used to dilute ink already on the brush to lighten it. This link will show you the general structure of an inkstone.

A Duan Inkstone

This stone measures approximately 3 x 5 inches (7.5 x 12.5 cm) on the inside.  When tapped, it has a nice, crisp sound.  The case is made of rosewood, and well constructed.

Not all inkstones have boxes or lids, and unless you use your stone frequently, it would be easy to let the ink dry out in the stone if you covered it and forgot about it.

This stone cost about $40.00 around 2000. Ink is easily made using this stone, and has a pleasant consistency. As it is a small stone, ink needs to be replenished on a regular basis. The size also makes it convenient to take to class, or to use outdoors, as it is neither heavy nor bulky. This is a great everyday stone for the the artist looking to explore ink painting and calligraphy. It is a quality stone without a high price, and a good ink stick (not a student grade ink stick) will produce thick, rich ink.