Basic Introduction to Hui Ink
Hui Ink is a precious gem in traditional Chinese ink-making skills and one of the renowned “Four Treasures of the Study.” The production of Hui Ink can be traced back to the late Tang Dynasty, reaching its zenith through the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The techniques for making Hui Ink are complex, such as unique methods for refining tung oil, sesame oil, and raw lacquer, as well as specific procedures for producing smoke, cooling, collecting, and storing. There are also secrets involved in building pine smoke kilns, managing fires, adding pine branches, collecting smoke, selecting glue, boiling glue, mixing ingredients, and more. As of the end of 2016, Huangshan City had nearly 16,000 people engaged in the Hui Ink industry, including 107 provincial-level and above intangible cultural heritage bearers and 13 heritage learning bases. There were nearly 20 Hui Ink manufacturing enterprises and workshops, with 18 patented products based on traditional intellectual property rights. They produced 278 million tons of Hui Ink annually, ranking first in the country, and exported it to over ten countries and regions, including Japan and South Korea.
Huangshan City and Xuancheng City are located in the northern subtropical zone and have a humid monsoon climate characterized by mild temperatures and abundant rainfall. The annual average temperature ranges from 6°C to 15°C, with no severe cold in most areas during winter, and a frost-free period of 236 days. The average annual precipitation is 1,670 millimeters, reaching up to 2,708 millimeters in some areas. Most of the precipitation occurs between May and August. The mid-to-low mountainous areas mostly have yellow soil and mountain yellow-brown soil, with relatively thick soil layers and high gravel content. The hilly areas mostly have red soil and purple soil, which are heavy in texture, acidic, and of poor fertility. The basin foothills and plain valleys mostly have sandy loam soils, while the riverbanks have alluvial soils, which are suitable for the growth of materials used in ink production, such as pine wood and tung tree seeds.
Geographical Protection Scope
The production area of Hui Ink encompasses the administrative regions of She County, Xiuning County, Qimen County, Yi County, Tunxi District, Huizhou District, Huangshan District's Tangkou Town, and Jixi County in Xuancheng City, a total of eight districts, counties, and towns in Anhui Province. Producers within this geographical scope may apply to the Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau of Huangshan City, Anhui Province, to use the “Special Mark for Geographical Indication Products.” After review by the Anhui Provincial Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau and approval by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine, an announcement will be made. The testing institutions for Hui Ink will be selected by the Anhui Provincial Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau from qualified testing institutions.
Product Characteristics
Hui Ink is a special pigment primarily made from pine soot, tung oil soot, lacquer soot, and glue, mainly used for traditional calligraphy and painting. Throughout history, there have been many varieties of Hui Ink, including lacquer soot, oil soot, pine soot, full soot, pure soot, reduced glue, and scented ink. High-quality lacquer soot ink is made from over ten valuable materials, such as tung oil soot, musk, borneol, gold foil, and pearl powder. Hui Ink combines painting, calligraphy, carving, and modeling arts into a comprehensive art treasure. The techniques for making Hui Ink are complex, with each school having its unique skills that are not disclosed to outsiders.
The formula and craftsmanship of Hui Ink production are very meticulous. “In the production of Ting's ink, for every catty (approximately 500 grams) of pine soot, three liang (approximately 150 grams) of pearls and one liang (approximately 50 grams) each of jade chips and dragon brain are used. These ingredients are mixed with raw lacquer and pounded 100,000 times.” Therefore, “those who obtain and store his ink for no less than fifty or sixty years find that the glue deteriorates and the ink becomes well-balanced. It is as hard as jade and as finely grained as rhinoceros horn.” Due to its unique formula and exquisite craftsmanship, Hui Ink has earned a reputation for being light to handle, clear when ground, fragrant when smelled, hard as jade, soundless when ground, as glossy as lacquer, and enduring for eternity.
Another feature of Hui Ink is its beautiful appearance and superior quality, primarily due to the use of ink molds. In the Southern Tang Dynasty, Li Ting created small double-spined dragon-patterned ink sticks using ink molds. From the Song Dynasty onwards, ink molds became widely used. The paintings and carvings on the ink molds were also highly regarded. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the art of ink mold reached its peak.
Historical Folklore
Based on existing historical records, the production of Hui Ink can be traced back to the late Tang Dynasty. Due to the An Lushan Rebellion, many northern ink makers migrated southward, leading to the southern shift of the center of ink production. The father and son duo of Xi Chao from Yizhou fled to southern She Prefecture, where they found dense pine forests and clear streams, so they settled down and resumed their old profession of ink-making. The ink they produced was “plump in texture, delicate in grain, and lustrous like lacquer.”
In the Southern Tang Dynasty, Emperor Li Houzhu obtained Xi's ink and treasured it. He appointed Xi's son, Ting, as the “Ink Official” and bestowed upon him the imperial surname Li as a reward. The Xi family thus changed their surname to Li. Since then, She Prefecture's Li Ink gained fame throughout the land, earning the saying, “Gold is easily obtained, but Li Ink is hard to come by,” and the national center of ink production shifted south to She Prefecture. Afterward, many skilled ink makers emerged, such as the Geng family, Zhang Yu, Pan Gu, Wu Zhi, and Dai Yanheng, marking the first golden age of the Huizhou ink industry.
During the Song and Yuan dynasties, ink makers built upon the work of their predecessors by adding medicinal ingredients to create medicinal inks. This led to the beginning of ink collection and the development of ink as an art form.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the production of Hui Ink entered a prosperous era. With the rapid economic development, production volumes surged, and ink-making techniques continued to advance. The patterns carved and painted on the ink, as well as the decoration of the lacquer boxes, reached unparalleled heights. Famous artisans and masterpieces emerged continuously, forming the Xiuning School represented by Luo Xiaohua, Cheng Junfang, and Fang Yuru. During the Qing Dynasty, the production of Hui Ink was divided into four major schools, namely Cao Sugong, Wang Jie'an, Wang Jinsheng, and Hu Kaiwen. Both Wang Jinsheng and Hu Kaiwen were from Jixi County. They improved and innovated upon the existing techniques, finally creating priceless treasures in the literary world, such as the Dragon Fragrance Agent Ink, Heavenly Treasure Ink, Peach Kernel Ink, Purple Magnolia Constellation Ink, Lotus Fish Ink, West Lake Ten Scenes Ink, and Earth Ink. These works were masterpieces, giving Hui Ink the characteristics of “falling onto paper like lacquer, black and lustrous, lasting without fading, not sticking to paper or brush, rich fragrance, plump and delicate texture.” During this period, Hui Ink could be categorized according to different raw materials into pine soot, oil soot, lacquer soot, and super lacquer soot varieties. Among these, the most precious were the super lacquer soot and other high-grade oil soot inks. These inks had a violet jade-like sheen and were used for calligraphy, producing a deep yet moist color; for painting, the ink was rich but not sticky, light but not gray, and the shades were distinct, hence they were favored by generations of calligraphers and painters.
Production Method
Production Process:
Selecting raw materials → Producing smoke → Washing → Mixing with glue → Pound → Shaping → Drying → Edging → Washing → Filling with gold → Packaging.
Process Requirements:
The fineness of the smoke should be 1200-1500 mesh;
Raw material washing should be done at least three times;