Capital Museum Collection of Famous Inkstones

Author: Capital Museum Editors
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-12-01
Features: This book selects over fifty renowned inkstones from the museum's vast collection, representing the most representative examples in terms of material, form, carving, patterns, inscriptions, and collectors. To faithfully showcase the artistic essence of these famous inkstones, the book employs techniques such as rubbings, photography, textual commentary, and meticulous design. With traditional-style rubbings, color illustrations, and rigorous textual descriptions, it reveals the cultural value, craftsmanship, artistic style, and cultural significance of the inkstones one by one.
Rubbings technology first appeared around the 4th or 5th century. The Book of Sui·Bibliography records: "The inherited rubbings are still stored in the imperial treasury." Based on this, it can be inferred that the "inherited rubbings" in the Sui imperial treasury were likely created in previous dynasties. Before the invention of printing, people used paper to press ink onto stone inscriptions to create rubbings for learners. During the Tang Dynasty, rubbings technology further developed, and the government even established specialized institutions for rubbings. Rubbings not only allow the inscriptions and patterns on objects to be directly transferred onto Xuan paper but also capture the entire form and structure of the objects in detail, providing a vivid and complete impression. Meticulously crafted rubbings are also important cultural relics or precious artworks, especially when the original objects are lost or damaged, making rubbings invaluable.
In the Song Dynasty, Huang Tingjian once said: "The Confucius Temple heron stele carved in the Zhenguan era—thousand taels of gold could not purchase it." The rarity and high regard for rubbings are evident from this.