Square inkstone for ink painting. “Moon reflected on water”
- Inkstone carving
- Presented in 2015
- H 4.8 x W 18.5 x D 26.5 cm
- Sold Out
Stone material is made by hundreds of millions of years of sedimentation, elevation and sinking. Energy from the sun, land, sea, and mountains, trails of light, waves and the wind, and adoration towards space are in the base of my artwork. I designed the moon and a pond, and a study and a writer. This piece was made from my thoughts that a true imagination is "reaching something universal", transcending nationality and time although deeply based in the regional climate and culture where one is born.
| Category | Inkstone carving |
|---|---|
| Year Presented | 2015 |
| Dimensions | H 4.8 x W 18.5 x D 26.5 cm |
| Materials | Namiita stone (Miyagi Prefecture) |
| Exhibition | The 62nd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition |
-
Inkstone carving
Inkstones are used in brush calligraphy to grind the ink for writing characters. Inkstones are highly valued writing tools, and the process of ink grinding is regarded as a calming practice preceding calligraphic activities. First, the rough shape of the inkstone is cut out of the base rock. Next, a long-handled chisel is used to cut a flat surface where the ink will be ground and a well where the ink will gather. The final form is coated with a finish of wax or lacquer. Popular varieties of stone include Amehata slate (amehataishi) from Yamanashi prefecture, akamaishi schalstein from Yamaguchi prefecture, and hōmeiseki shale and slate from Aichi prefecture.
Hozan Nagura
As stone materials I use kimpo-seki, engan-seki, and homei-seki, collected around Kadoya, and the suzuri (ink stone) made of these three types of stone are called “Horaiji Suzuri.” Not only do I want to improve and cultivate the techniques handed down by my predecessors, and pass them on to the next generation, but I also want to develop suzuri from a simple calligraphy utensil to a work of art as a “vessel imbued with heart” that expresses the spirit and aesthetic sense of the Japanese people. I do not want to just follow a Chinese style, rather I aim to elevate the value of suzuri toward a new cultural and artistic domain of Japanese style; with this hope, I carry out my day-to-day production.