This week we discussed the Chinese process of creating inkstones and books. On Tuesday we listened to “The Social Life of Inkstones” an interview with Dorothy Ko in which she discusses her book. Ko was intriguing to listen to because of her passion for inkstones and the creation process, she appreciates the history behind them and translates this through demonstrations she provides for her students. The inkstones themselves were really interesting to look at, each one became more intricate than the last as designs were carved into the material used. Despite how decorative the inkstones became they still functioned as they were supposed to for the user. The process of creating ink was something I did not think about previously, if you go into an art store you are able to purchase ink in a bottle so I did not realize that ink came in sticks which makes sense since the ink had to be portable. Our end of class activity was really fun and it made me appreciate the complexity of the inkstone I was drawing, furthering Ko’s belief in the importance of becoming involved in the creation process of the items she studies.
On Thursday we discussed woodblock printing and books. The printing process is extremely detailed and requires a lot of patience, specifically when it comes to carving characters or images and arranging each page to be printed. I have done various carvings for art classes I have taken and it truly is something that needs to be appreciated more because of the mental and physical labor that goes into each page and each piece. The scroll and book we looked at in class probably took so long to complete and the craftsmanship was amazing. A specific detail I appreciated from the book was the paper itself, it was reinforced in such a unique way that I have not seen before and has held up despite its age.
Sources
McDermott, Joseph Peter. A Social History of the Chinese Book : Books and Literati Culture in Late Imperial China. Understanding China. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2006.
New Books in East Asian Studies, interview with Dorothy Ko, author of The Social Life of Inkstones, Podcast.
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