“The Sun” inkstone.
- Inkstone carving
- Presented in 2013
- H 4.0 x W 19.0 x D 26.5 cm
- Not for Sale
I try to design the "spirit" we have in the Japanese culture that we have developed throughout our long history. I expressed the moon and the sun, night and day, the sky and the sea, the flow of time and adoration towards nature in this piece.
Category | Inkstone carving |
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Year Presented | 2013 |
Dimensions | H 4.0 x W 19.0 x D 26.5 cm |
Materials | Homei Stone (Aichi Prefecture, Horaiji Mountain) |
Exhibition | The 60th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition |
Awards | Japan Kogei Association Incentive Award |
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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.
V Hozan Nagura
![photo V Hozan Nagura](https://kougeifs.galleryjapan.com/files/galleryjapan/creator/H_Nagura.png)
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.