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

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

Pine Moisture), No-shen (God of Ink), and Sung-hsin-shih (Courier of Pine). Ink titles were often represented by such poetic terms as, ,One Deep Sky', ,Purple Dew', and ,Pine Moisture with Spring Clouds'. Some even borrowed the titles of famous poems or prose writings, such as T'ao-huayiian (Source of Peach Blossom), which is the title of a story written by T'ao Yiianming (372—427) of Chin about a Utopia where people lived in peace, oblivious of the passing of time. It was used as the title of a Ming ink cake. Inks specially made for connoisseurs usually carry the names of ink collections. Appreciation of the Ink No other nations have appreciated ink the way the Chinese have. Up till the very recent time, every Chinese who started to learn writing would enjoy the ritual of grinding a fine ink stick on a fine inkslab, or would try to collect some inks as his own. In old times, scholars and officials tended to make their own ink pieces. The first famous inkmaker Wei Tan believed strongly in his ownskill in making the best quality ink and used only his own products. Ink made by great inkmakers was sought and treasured. Beginning in the Sung dynasty, grouped with writing brush, paper and inkslab as the four treasures of a scholar's study, ink was collected and kept with loving care by generations of men of letters and connoisseurs. This appreciation for ink partly reflected the Chinese people's respect for scholarship, and partly showed their insistence on the continuity of their culture. R. H. van Gulik pointed out a third aspect of ink appreciation: the influence of ink on a man's life: „The tradition was kept alive by the desire of scholars and artists 3. COVER OF THE LACQUERED BOX for an ink set with the title: Wu lao t'u mo (Pictures of the Five Old Men) Inv.-Nr 3870.. 149