Seven stars for Zhaoqing
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Where every stone tells a tale
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A craftsman works on a Duan inkstone. |
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Kids play on inkstone slabs in White Stone Village, Zhaoqing. |
Kids play on inkstone slabs in White Stone Village, Zhaoqing.
Panda diplomacy is all about presenting the gift that no one else can give and this certainly applies to the Duan inkstone.
They have graced the writing tables of emperors since the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and were given as presents to visiting dignitaries at the Beijing Olympics.
An inkstone is the mortar that is used to rub inksticks in water to produce the ink when practicing calligraphy and a good one is known as one of the "four treasures of the study" - the others being inksticks, brush and paper.
My journey of discovery began at the Duan Inkstone Art Factory, where I learned that Zhaoqing, formerly called Duanzhou (hence Duan inkstone), is the place where the finest of the four famed types of inkstones are mined.
They are crafted from a volcanic rock unique to the area, which is gray with a purplish hue, though there are also redder, white and green varieties. Its hardness, chemical constituents and porousness make it perfect for blending with water.
The story goes that a Tang Dynasty student from Zhaoqing went to the capital to take the national examination, but it was so cold even the ink froze. Only the Zhaoqing scholar using a Duan inkstone could get his ink to flow and since then they have been the most prized of all inkstones.
The Duan inkstone is an integral part of the ancient Chinese arts scene and many emperors and poets have sung its praises. It also gets an honorable mention in the classic tale Journey to the West.
The inkstones are often beautifully carved works of art in their own right, with dragon and auspicious cloud motifs a classic favorite. The best craftsmen are even now considered great artists and their "priceless" works are collected in museums around the world.
Naked miners used to risk life and limb to excavate these precious stones from a handful of pits in Fuke Mountain, on the banks of Zhaoqing's West River and the inkstones are named after the pits they are mined from.
There is an impressive collection at the factory, of course, but it was not until I later visited the "living museum" of White Stone Village, in central Zhaoqing, that I learned to appreciate their true value.
Here, there are piles of roughly hewn inkstones by the side of the road that children play on, while hammers, chisels and files resonate in family-owned workshops. It would have been the same scene 1,000 years ago.
Cai Sanhong claims his distant ancestors carved inkstones for the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) imperial families and in one of his workshops two men bend over machines, under a single naked light bulb, to cut slabs from the raw material. In another unit they are carved and polished by a series of craftspeople until they are "as smooth as a baby's bottom".
Cai sits at an ornate tea able overlooking operations and talks business with clients. On the second floor he shows us the finished products, which range in price from around 900 yuan ($132) to 10,000 yuan or more.
The quality of the stone, its size, where it was mined, the distinctive markings, the quality of the craftsmanship, decide the final fee charged.
Cai says that since calligraphy is rarely practiced these days, most of the inkstones he produces are presented as gifts. Formerly the Japanese were big buyers, but these days it's the Chinese.
It's possible to cross the West River on a boat and take a look at the famed Laokeng pit, which produces the most expensive stones. It is not currently being worked, in order to preserve the remaining lode, and doesn't look like much - just a hole in the ground, filled with jade-colored water and goldfish.
But the site is being developed and in a couple of years there will be a fully functioning inkstone tourism center. Visitors will be able to explore the mine and learn more about the "four treasures" - including "golden smoke ink", brushes made of peach-fuzz baby hair, and Xuanzhi parchment paper - as well as trying out calligraphy for themselves.
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