79 One of the most endearing features of the Chinese was their reverent love of all things pertaining to literature, and especially of writing and writing-materials.
In the course of the many centuries during which the art of calligraphy was cherished and cultivated by a long line of ardent and talented scholars, scores of rules with their unavoidable exceptions were gradually evolved regarding the making and keeping of the various requisites of writing. These rules were examined and re-examined with the utmost care, and then handed down in their final form from one literatus to another. So ink, inks lab, brush and paper became at last those ’extremely refined implements’ that are known as the „Four Precious Things of the Library”.
With the stick of ink one rubs the inkslab, then the brush is moistened, and the paper lies ready on the writing-desk to receive the rows of elegant characters. After some time, however, the stick of ink will be rubbed down, and one has to choose a new one. The hairs of the brush too will be worn off, and generally after the lapse of one year it cannot be used any longer. So the only thing that remains forever is after all the inkstone. It will last for years and years, and even much longer. No wonder that of the four precious things the inks lab (yen-t’ai) has always been valued most by calligraphers and connoisseurs.
Many treatises on inkstones were written, discussing at length their merits and faults, their shape and colour, their places of origin and prices. One of the oldest seems to be the Wen-fang Szu-p’u, written by Su I-chien, the author’s preface is dated 986 A.D. Details about this work may be found in the Szu K’u, ch. 115,3. A litHe later there was published a booklet in one chapter, called Hsi-chou Yen-p’u „Account of the inkslabs from Hsi-chou” by an unknown author. A colophon is dated 1066 A.D. Then comes a book written by Mi Fu (1051-1107), the famous painter and connoisseur. This is the Yen-shih „Account of inkstones”, which I will describe below. It consists of only one chapter, and has been published80 with some other books on inkstones, by Pao-Shih-Kung of Che-Kiang (cf. Szu K’u ch. 115,4).
Shortly afterwards Kao Szu-sun compiled a book on inkslabs Yen-Ts’ien, which appeared between 1208-1224 A.D. For this work he made use of the booklet of Mi Fu.
The next seems to be the Yen P’u. According to the Szu K’u its author is unknown, but the Ku-chin T’u-shu Chi-ch’eng says it is written by Li Chih-yen. This is not impossible, as the work cites among others Cheng Ch’iao (1104-1162), and in the life of Li Chih-yen the period Hsien-shun (1265-1274) is mentioned.
During the Ming-dynasty Kao Lien, who wrote treatises on all kinds of subjects (including the distillation of spirits, the manufacture of artificial perfumes, and various kinds of food) devoted a part of his Tsun-sheng Pa-tsien to inkslabs. There appeared also a book in three chapters, the Hsi-yen-chih, by Chiang Chen. During this dynasty the Yen P’u, an illustrated book on inkstones, was published by Ch’en Shih.
During the Ch’ing dynasty many books on inkstones were written. I mention the Tuan-ch’i yen-shih „Investigation of the inkstones from the rivulets in Tuan-chou”, by Kao Chao, the Tuan-ch’i yen shih-k’ao, compiled in 1834 by Wu Lan the Yen-lin. „Forest of inkslabs”, by Yü Huai, and the Shui-k’ang shik-chi „Notes on the stones from wet quarries”, by Ch’ien Chao-ting.
The most interesting of these books on inkstones is probably the Yen-shih by Mi Fu, not only because it is one of the oldest treatises on the subject, but also because it supplies us with important information concerning his character. This famous Sung-artist was not only a highly gifted painter and calligrapher, and a passionate art-collector, but also a fine critic. Apart from the Yen-shih, he also wrote the Hua-shih „Account of painting”, and the Shu-shih „Account of calligraphy” In these books we can admire his bold and original style as well as his sound reasoning and conscientious judgement.
Mi Fu was a man of a very outspoken artistic temperament, who combined a devoted veneration of Beauty with an utter contempt for the great masses, that plod along on beaten tracks, stubbornly clinging to that which they have been taught to consider as decent and beautiful. Being at the same time a scholar of profound erudition, he could write about these things in a sophisticated style, with subtle hints and witty similes. Sometimes he cannot but be held responsible for an inclination towards „épater le bourgeois” Thus in his biography (Sung-shih ch. 444) it is told he liked to dress himself like the people of the T’ang period, and that once he put on his 81official garb to do homage to a stone, the bizarre captivating shape of which he admired. It goes without saying that he was not the right type of man to occupy an official position. It is said in his biography that „he could not comply with official life; on account of this he met with several difficulties in his career as an official”. It is a proof of the free and happy spirit that reigned at the courts of the Sung-emperors, that notwithstanding his peculiarities Mi Fu was held in high respect, and on several occasions received special favours from the Emperor.
The Yen-shih opens with an introduction which is typical for Mi Fu.
”People’s tastes are widely different; but that which is liked by the great mass is considered to be right, whilst that which is only liked by a few is considered to be cranky. When one can be persuaded to abandon one’s hobby, one is not really devoted to’ it; for when one is really devoted to it, one will firmly stick to it. As Confucius said (Lun-yü XVII, 22) to be a „gamester or a chess-player” is still better than doing nothing at all, this booket of mine should not be laughed at by wise and discriminating scholars”.
This passage one may explain in the following way: the great mass has its special hobbies, and is ready to condemn anything that differs from these. If one devotes for instance all his spare time and energy to cricket or bridge, one is likely to meet general approval. But if one chooses an uncommon hobby, e.g. the collecting of inkstones, one will be looked upon as a fool. The real artist however does not care for public opinion, and just continues in his own line, ignoring alike all blame and praise. Mi Fu concludes with a line of Confucius, who said that to concentrate one’s thoughts on one thing, albeit a little trivial, like playing chess, is still better than to live on, only sleeping and eating, having no interest at all. For this reason he implores the indulgence of „wise and discriminating” scholars — which he will surely obtain, because from his Yen-shih one sees clearly that he does not love inkstones as curios to be put on your shelves in as large quantities as possible, but as delicate instruments for the creation of Art.
After this introduction follows a chapter „Good and bad ways of using things”. Here he explains, that the producing of ink is the main thing, and that the colour and the shape of the inkslab are of secondary importance. He says: „An ornate pattern and adornment, although they may be naturally inherent (to the stone), have nothing to do with the real purpose of an inkstone”. 82Then he goes on to describe more than twenty different kinds of inkstones, each with their peculiar qualities, places of origin and prices. He especially discusses the stones from Tuan-chou (Kwantung province), and from Anhwei, for making the famous Hsi-inkslabs.
The Tuan-stones he divided into four kinds, viz. Hsia-yen, stones cut from the foot of the mountain, Shang-yen, stones cut from the top, Pan-pien-yen, stones cut from the slopes, and Hou-li-yen, crumbled stones. The Hsia-yen stones he considers the best, because they are alwavs soaked with water. The Hsi-slabs he divides into different kinds according to their patterns. People generally value these stones very highly, but Mi Fu declares that he does not like them.
The two last paragraphs of his book are of a general character. He begins with discussing different qualities of inkstones, and makes some remarks on the fact, that on the whole people prefer old, antique inks labs to new ones. He says: „Generally speaking square inkslabs will produce ink during a long time. Of those that do not „tire”, the stone must be soft. If one knocks them, they have a low harmonious sound. After many years they become hollowed out. Of those stones that do not produce ink, the material is hard. When knocked they have a hard sound; after a little use they look like a mirror and the ink runs. The stones that I have classified here I have all seen with my own eyes, and I have collected and used them myself. Those about which I have merely heard, even if much, I did not put in my record. I suspect that all old stones were without exception beautiful. If not, why have they never been lost? People who were not interested in these things, it is true, had the habit of throwing them away after they had used them. But only because (these same stones) have been a long time among men, worthy people as well as mediocre men enjoy them alike. And for this reason (the old stones) never cease to circulate”.
In the last paragraph he describes several curious and rare inkslabs of quaint shapes and extraordinary qualities, which he saw in the houses of his friends or acquaintances. Finally he speaks of a very beautiful inkslab from his own collection. It was naturally made in four layers and had the shape of a „Phoenix-pond”-slab. „In the centre this inkslab is slightly concave; if one pours a little water there, and rubs ink, the ink will prove to be sufficient to fill ten roles of paper with characters. . . .”. And with amiable enthousiasm he concludes: „I believe it is the greatest treasure of the Empire!”
So we see that one of the most brilliant scholars of the 83Sung-period devoted much time and labour to the investigation of inkstones. He chose this one out of the „Precious Things”, because, as is explained above, it is the most important of them. But in the same way there exist in Chinese literature special books on brushes, ink-cakes and different kinds of paper. In this field there remains much to be done by sinologists. Enough has been said about Chinese painting and painters in general; the time has now come to begin a thorough detailed study of Chinese sources of this nature.
1 This article is an abstract of a study on Mi Fu’s biography, and on his Yen-shih, that will appear shortly in the periodical „China”.
XML-versie © 2006 Marco Huysmans