Inkstone - Suzuri

Japanese: 硯 - すずり

A tool for making ink for calligraphy. It is the first of the four treasures of the study and was invented and developed in China. The origin of the word "suzuri" is written as "sumisuri" in the mid-Heian period "Wamyo Ruijusho" as a tool for making ink, and since the word suzuri appears in "The Pillow Book" and "The Tale of Genji", it is believed that suzuri was in general use from the mid-Heian period onwards.

[Masaji Fujiki]

Chinese inkstone

A rectangular stone slab commonly known as a color mixing tool was discovered in the Western Zhou Tombs in Luoyang, and this holds great significance in considering the origins of inkstones. Color mixing tools are stone grinding tools made from the Zhou to Han dynasties, and were used to grind pigments on a stone slab. An egg-shaped stone inkstone with a grinding tool excavated from the Qin Tombs in Hubei Province shows traces of ink being ground, and ink was also excavated at the same time. From this, we can infer the process by which ink-specific color mixing tools became independent as inkstones.

The original inkstone was a single inkstone board with no pond, and instead of using solid ink, very small pieces of graphite were ground up using other grinding tools, and lacquer or glue was used as a fixing medium. In the latter half of the Han dynasty, inkstones with mortar-shaped surfaces that sloped from the front to the top and inkstones with crescent-shaped partitions appeared, indicating a shift to a form for using solid ink. From the Six Dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, ink ponds were added around the ink chamber where the ink was stored, and the number of feet on the back of the inkstone increased from three feet in the Han dynasty to ten or twelve feet. Also around this time, the wind-shaped ceramic inkstone appeared. This has a wind-shaped exterior, a mortar-shaped interior, and two feet on the left and right front of the back of the inkstone. The current inkstone shape, rectangular with an ink pond and ink chamber separated into front and back, appeared from the Five Dynasties to the Song dynasty. During the Song dynasty, over 70 types of inkstone materials and nearly 100 types of inkstone styles or formal inkstones were created. For example, names such as the four-straight inkstone, the curved water inkstone, and the Horai inkstone were given based on their appearance and design. This, along with partial carving, plays an important role in forming the artistic quality of inkstones.

The most famous Chinese inkstones are the Danxi inkstone and the Shezhou inkstone. Danxi stone was discovered in the early Tang Dynasty and is produced in the area north and south of Lingyang Gorge in Gaoyao County, Guangdong Province, with many famous mines around Fukashan. It was mined many times during the Song and Ming Dynasties, but the name Danxi became famous when Shuiyan Daxi Cave was first excavated by Wu Zhounian in 1752 during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. Danxi stone is mainly purple with green, yellow, white, and black tones, and in petrology it belongs to the diabase rock. The stones have dense, even grains called houbo (grains of the inkstone stone through which the ink is drawn), which allow the ink to flow well and are excellent for grinding and developing ink. They are rich in variation in color and pattern, and are given names related to color such as horse liver, pig liver, sheep liver, heavenly blue, and banana leaf white, as well as literati names related to the pattern such as seika, fish brain ice, ice pattern, and gold line. Danxi is said to be synonymous with inkstones, and while there are fine ones, there are also many counterfeits.

Meanwhile, Shezhou stone is mined in the Furongxi area of Wuyuan County, Anhui Province, and was discovered during the Kaiyuan period (713-741) of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. The stone is found in a wide area and comes in many varieties. Dragontail stone has long been considered valuable, and the best inkstone material was quarried here from the Southern Tang to the Song dynasties. It is a type of slate with blue-green and blue-black tones and a tightly textured surface. The patterns found on Shezhou stone include the Ramon pattern, Water Wave pattern, Gold Halo pattern, and Fish Roe pattern. Other Chinese inkstone stones include Taohe greenstone from the Lintao area of Gansu Province, red silk stone from Qingzhou, Shandong Province, Songhuajiang greenstone from the Songhua River area of old Manchuria, and clear inkstone made from sand clay.

Inkstones made from the Tang to Qing dynasties that have high artistic and craft value are called komeiken. These ornamental inkstones have been highly valued by inkstone enthusiasts and literati due to the hobby of inkstone washing that began in the Southern Tang dynasty.

Korean inkstones have been known since ancient times, the most famous being Wei stone, a slate with purple and blue-green layers. Taiwanese inkstones are mainly made of Luoxi stone, as well as Monkei stone and Kairai stone.

[Masaji Fujiki]

Japanese inkstone

The Nihon Shoki records that in the 15th year of the reign of Emperor Ojin, Wani came from Baekje bringing the Analects and the Thousand Character Classic, and in the 18th year of the reign of Empress Suiko (610), Doncho came from Goguryeo and introduced the method of making paper and ink, so it is believed that inkstones were introduced in the Asuka period. The Shosoin treasures include a blue-spotted stone-decorated ceramic inkstone, and the Shoin inkstone, which was given to Taira no Kiyomori by the Southern Song Dynasty at the end of the Heian period, is made of valley stone from Hunan Province and is currently one of the furnishings of Chion-ji Temple in Kyoto.

The collection of inkstones in Japan dates back to the Heian period, but there is no inkstone that can surpass Chinese inkstones. Well-known examples include Akamaishi, Amehataishi, Wakataishi, Genshoseki, Ryukeiseki, and Horaijiseki. Akamaishi is produced in Akamagaseki, formerly known as Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and is also known as Shikinseki. There are some good quality old Akama stones, but in recent years there have been few good quality stones. They come in blue-green and red-purple. Amehataishi is produced in Amehata Village, Minamikoma County, Yamanashi Prefecture (now Hayakawa Town), and is a claystone that is blue-black, light blue, or purple in color. Wakata stone is mined from the Wakata River in Shimoagata County, Nagasaki Prefecture, Gensho stone is mined from the coast of Ogatsu Town, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Ryukei stone is mined near the upper reaches of the Tenryu River in Kamiina County, Nagano Prefecture, and Horaiji stone, also known as Kinpo-seki stone, is mined from Mount Horaiji in Minamishitara County, Aichi Prefecture.

[Masaji Fujiki]

Types of inkstones and their uses

Inkstones are made from stone, porcelain, jade, jade, agate, crystal, ivory, copper, iron, wood, bamboo, lacquer, paper, etc., but stone is the main material for practical use. Pottery inkstones include those made from repurposed roof tiles, jars, and bricks, as well as stone inkstones and clear mud inkstones made from hardened stone powder and sand clay that have been fired.

The conditions for a good inkstone are good grinding and ink development. Ink development refers to ink that can express the beauty of the ink color, good spread, and strong line quality, and a good inkstone is not just one that flows well. When an inkstone is used for a long time, the tip weakens and the surface becomes like a mirror. At that time, it is polished with a whetstone to reveal a new inkstone surface. This is called sharpening the tip. Inkstones should be washed from time to time to remove old ink. Since ancient times, it has been said that Chinese inkstones are used for Chinese ink and Japanese inkstones are used for Japanese ink, but the important thing is that the inkstone has a stable weight when ink is being drawn, and is the right size for the purpose.

[Masaji Fujiki]

"The Four Treasures of the Study: Inkstones" by Yuzo Sugimura and Toshio Nagai (1972, Tankosha), 4 volumes in total" "Knowledge and Appreciation of Inkstones" by Ichiro Kubota (1977, Nigensha)" "The Four Treasures of the Study: The Story of Inkstones" by Bokuzan Sakaki (1981, Kadokawa Shoten)"

[Reference] | Ink

Names of the parts of an inkstone
©Shogakukan ">

Names of the parts of an inkstone

Akama Inkstone
©Yamaguchi Prefecture Tourism Association ">

Akama Inkstone

The making of Akama inkstones
©Yamaguchi Prefecture Tourism Association ">

The making of Akama inkstones

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

書写のための墨をする用具。文房四宝の第一にあげられ、中国で発明され、発達した。「すずり」の語源は、平安中期の『倭名類聚抄(わみょうるいじゅしょう)』に墨をする用具として須美須利(すみすり)と書かれており、『枕草子(まくらのそうし)』や『源氏物語』ではすずりの語がみられるところから、平安時代中期以後はすずりが一般に使われたと思われる。

［藤木正次］

中国の硯

洛陽(らくよう)の西周墓(せいしゅうぼ)から俗に調色器(ちょうしょくき)とよばれる長方形の石板が発見されたが、これは硯の発生を考えるうえで重要な意味をもっている。調色器は周から漢代までつくられた磨石具(ませきぐ)で、石板上の顔料をすりつぶす用具であった。湖北省秦墓(しんぼ)から発掘された、磨石具を伴った卵形板状の石硯には、墨をすりつぶした痕跡がみられ、同時に墨も出土している。このことから墨専門の調色器が硯として独立していく過程を推測することができる。

　硯の原形は1枚の硯板で池はなく、固形墨(こけいぼく)を直接にするのではなく、他の磨石具を用いてごく小さな石墨をすりつぶし、漆(うるし)とか膠(にかわ)を定着媒材として使用した。漢代後半には、硯面が臼状で、手前から頭部に向かって傾斜がつけられているものや、三日月形の仕切りをつけたものが出現し、固型墨をするための形態に移りつつあることがわかる。六朝(りくちょう)から隋(ずい)・唐になると、墨をする墨堂の周りに墨池がつけられ、硯背(けんぱい)の足も漢代の3足から、10足、12足と多くなってくる。またこのころ風字形の陶瓷硯(とうじけん)が現れた。これは外形が風字形で、内側が臼(うす)状をなし、硯背の手前左右に2足がついている。長方形で墨池と墨堂が前後に分かれている現在の硯の形態は、五代から宋(そう)代にかけて出現した。宋代には70種を超える硯材と、硯式とか制式といわれる100種近い形態が生み出された。たとえば、四直硯(しちょくけん)、曲水(きょくすい)硯、蓬莱(ほうらい)硯といった名称が、外見や図案によってつけられた。これは部分彫琢(ちょうたく)とともに、硯の美術性を形成するうえで重要な役割を果たすものである。

　中国硯のなかでもっとも著名なものに、端渓硯(たんけいけん)と歙州(きゅうじゅう)硯がある。端渓石(せき)は唐代の初期に発見され、広東(カントン)省高要(こうよう)県にある羚羊峡(れいようきょう)の南北一帯に産出する硯石で、とくに斧柯山(ふかざん)周辺に多くの著名坑がある。宋、明(みん)代とたびたび掘られたが、清(しん)の乾隆(けんりゅう)17年（1752）に呉縄年(ごじょうねん)によって初めて水巌(すいがん)大西洞が開採されるに及んで、端渓の名は一躍有名になった。端渓石は紫を主に、緑、黄、白、黒の色調があり、岩石学上は輝緑凝灰(きりょくぎょうかい)岩に属す。石の中に鋒鋩(ほうぼう)（墨を下(お)ろす硯石の目）という石の目が平均して密立し、よく墨を下ろし、磨墨(まぼく)も発墨も優秀である。色調や斑紋(はんもん)の変化に富み、馬肝色(ばかんしょく)、猪肝(ちょかん)色、羊肝(ようかん)色、天青(てんせい)色、蕉葉白(しょうようはく)といった色調に関する名称や、青花(せいか)、魚脳凍(ぎょのうとう)、氷紋(ひょうもん)、金線など斑紋に関する文人的名称がつけられている。端渓は硯の代名詞のようにいわれ、佳品もあるが偽物も多い。

　一方、歙州石は安徽(あんき)省婺源(むげん)県にある芙蓉渓(ふようけい)一帯より産出し、唐の玄宗の開元年間（713～741）に発見された。石の出る範囲が広く、種類も多い。なかでも竜尾石は昔から貴重とされ、南唐から宋代に最良の硯材が採石されている。千枚粘板岩で青緑と青黒を基調とし、緊密な肌理(きり)をもっている。歙州石の斑紋には羅紋(らもん)、水波(すいは)紋、金暈(きんうん)、魚子(ぎょし)紋などがある。このほかの中国の硯石は、甘粛(かんしゅく)省臨洮(りんとう)方面から産する洮河緑石(とうがりょくせき)、山東省青州から出る紅糸(こうし)石、旧満州松花江(しょうかこう)方面から出る松花江緑石、沙泥(さでい)を用いる澄泥(ちょうでい)などがある。

　唐代から清代までにつくられ美術工芸的価値の高い硯を古名硯(こめいけん)とよぶ。こうした鑑賞硯は、南唐より始まる洗硯(せんけん)趣味によって、愛硯家や文人などに珍重されてきた。

　朝鮮の硯石もかなり古い時代から知られ、著名なのは渭原石(いげんせき)で、粘板岩で紫、青緑の層状をなしている。また台湾の硯石は螺渓(らけい)石を主に文渓(もんけい)石、傀儡(かいらい)石が知られている。

［藤木正次］

日本の硯

日本への硯の伝来は、『日本書紀』に、応神(おうじん)天皇の15年百済(くだら)より王仁(わに)が『論語』と『千字文(せんじもん)』を携え来り、推古(すいこ)天皇18年（610）高句麗から曇徴(どんちょう)が来日し、紙墨(しぼく)の製法を伝えたとあるので、飛鳥(あすか)時代には硯も伝来していたと考えられる。正倉院宝物に青斑石装陶硯(せいはんせきそうとうけん)があり、平安末期に南宋より平清盛(きよもり)に贈られてきた松蔭硯(しょういんけん)は、湖南省より産出した渓石(れいけいせき)で、現在京都知恩寺の什物(じゅうぶつ)となっている。

　日本での硯石の採取は平安時代にさかのぼるが、中国の硯石をしのぐようなものは見当たらない。著名なものに赤間石(あかまいし)、雨畑石(あめはたいし)、若田石(わかたいし)、玄昌石(げんしょうせき)、竜渓石(りゅうけいせき)、鳳来寺石(ほうらいじせき)などがある。赤間石は山口県旧長門(ながと)赤間関に産出したもので、別名紫金石とよばれ、古赤間には良質なものもみられるが、近年は良石が少ない。青緑と赤紫がある。雨畑石は山梨県南巨摩(みなみこま)郡雨畑村（現早川町）に産出し、蒼黒(そうこく)、淡青、紫色をした粘板岩である。若田石は長崎県下県(しもあがた)郡若田川より、玄昌石は宮城県石巻(いしのまき)市雄勝(おがつ)町の海岸から、竜渓石は長野県上伊那(いな)郡の天竜川上流付近でそれぞれ採取され、鳳来寺石は金鳳石(きんぽうせき)ともいわれ、愛知県南設楽(みなみしたら)郡鳳来寺山より産出する。

［藤木正次］

硯の種類と用法

硯は石、陶瓷(とうじ)、玉(ぎょく)、翡翠(ひすい)、瑪瑙(めのう)、水晶、象牙(ぞうげ)、銅、鉄、木、竹、漆、紙などでつくられるが、実用としては石が主である。焼物では瓦(かわら)、缸(かめ)、塼(しきがわら)を転用したものや、石末(せきまつ)・沙泥(さでい)などを固めて焼いた石末硯、澄泥硯がある。

　よい硯の条件は磨墨、発墨がよいことで、発墨とは墨色の美しさ、のびのよさ、線質の強さを表現しうる墨汁をいい、ただよくおりるだけではよい硯とはいえない。硯を長く使っていると鋒鋩(ほうぼう)は衰え、面が鏡のようになる。そのときは砥石で磨いて新しい硯面を出す。これを鋒鋩を立てるという。硯はときどき洗って古い墨を除いておく。古来、唐墨(とうぼく)には唐硯(とうけん)、和墨には和硯といわれているが、要は墨をするとき安定した重量感があり、用途にあった適切な大きさであることも重要である。

［藤木正次］

『杉村勇造・永井敏男著『文房四宝　硯』全4冊（1972・淡交社）』▽『窪田一郎著『硯の知識と鑑賞』（1977・二玄社）』▽『榊莫山著『文房四宝　硯の話』（1981・角川書店）』

[参照項目] | 墨

硯の各部名称

赤間硯

赤間硯の製作

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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