Imre Jakabffy (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 8. (Budapest, 1984)

CHIA-JEN KECSKÉS, Lily: Art and connoisseurship of the ink

rolled by hand into the desired form.

6 The measure code of the Liang dynasty (502— 557) stated that one Hang (a solid measurement) of ink for the Emperor consisted of twelve wan; but one-hundred wan for the Empress.

7 The world lo (shell or conch shell) was also used in early periods. Laufer suggested that ink might have been kept in shells, but he was more inclined to take the word just as one of the units for ink.

8 By the T'ang and the Southern T'ang ink was in prismatic or round shapes. Li Hsiao-mei's illustrations in his work give us an overview of the ink forms of the T'ang period. As we can see, most of them were small, flat, rectangular, round, decorated with a dragon or carp on the one side and inscriptions on the other. There was little information on ink forms of the Sung dynasty, and we assume that there was not much change in that period. Detailed information is available on the forms of the Ming and Ch'ing ink, both from the extant speciments and from designs in the two manuals, Ch'eng-shih moyüan and Fang-shih mo-p'u.

9 Fang's book contains roughly five main forms: kuei (round médaillon form), yü (large square), fing (rectangular), kuei (narrow oblong, octogonal or cylindrical piece) and p'ei (imitations of jade pendants). Ch'eng's book though containing more illustrations, carries similar designs. In general, ink's one side is decorated with a pictorial design and the other with an inscription. The designing and cutting of ink molds are extremely important. Shen Chi-sun gives us an illustration of a six-piece ink mold with a base: a twopiece mold with inscription in relief and the picture incised, with four fixing pieces.

10 Ink dough was placed into the mold, tightened by the fixing pieces, and the whole assembly was fitted into the base. Molds are mostly made of wood. The best wood for irikmolds is jujube.

11 During the Ming and early Ch'ing copper mold was used. The advantages of copper molds are the clear image of the design with sharp lines and edges, and the ability to make very hard ink.

12 However, copper was very difficult to engrave. After the early Ch'ing wood was again used replacing copper. The characteristics of a wood mold are soft contours of designs, more natural and refined appearance, but the lines and edges are not as clear as those made by copper molds. An ink appraiser may observe the difference by taking a close look at the surface of an ink. A wood mold often leaves traces of wood grains on the ink. The earliest decorations were mostly dragons in different positions. On an oblong tablet it is usually depicted in a dancing posture, spreading from top to bottom, with outstretching claws and single or double spines. On a round or square ink piece the dragon is mostly in a sitting position called p'an lung (coiled dragon). But after the T'ang more designs appeared. By the time of the Ming and Ch'ing dynasties everything that had been depicted in pictorial or sculptural arts was put on the surface of ink, only in a miniature form. The Chinese had a preference for symbolic things which they often used in their arts. To symbolize wealth and happiness they illustrated a deer or a carp; to illustrate power and social status they depicted a dragon or a lion. To express wishes for longevity they drew a pine, a crane, a tortoise, or a gourd; to show the revival of creative forces they presented plum flowers. And to wish growth and fertility they designed a hundred-seed pomegranate or bamboo shoots. The cosmic phenomena were summarized on these small pieces of ink. Landscapes, such as 146