Brand Introduction
Produced in Yixian, Hebei (known as Yizhou in ancient times), Yishui inkstones rank among China’s top 10 famous inkstones. Their making techniques were included in the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2008. With a history dating back to the Han dynasty, they have been passed down for 2,000 years, drawing on the finest traditions of inkstone carving from northern and southern China to develop a distinctive artistic character known as “southern elegance and northern strength.”
Yixian lies deep in the Taihang Mountains, where millions of years of geological deposits have nurtured such prized inkstone materials as Yudai stone, Zicui stone, Foshi stone, Wujin stone, Dongshao stone, and Yishui jade. Dense, fine, and smooth in texture, the stone was praised in the Yizhou Gazetteer as “no less than Duanxi stone” and “fine and hard in texture, exceptionally well suited to inkstones,” earning it the reputation of “Duan in the south, Yi in the north.”
Yishui inkstone carving emphasizes the natural qualities of the stone, applying techniques according to the material and making ingenious use of nature. A variety of methods—including flat carving, high relief, openwork, relief carving, pierced carving, and yin-yang carving—bring poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal art together within a small space. The work both preserves the stone’s natural grain and imbues it with humanistic meaning. From raw stone quarried from the inkstone mountains to an elegant scholar’s studio object, Yishui inkstones draw on the spirit of Yishui’s mountains and rivers and carry the essence of 1,000 years of intangible cultural heritage. With the craftsman’s dedication, rough stone is transformed into an elegant object that embodies the spirit of the literati and continues the Chinese cultural tradition, fully expressing Eastern aesthetics and intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship.
