Understanding Chinese Characters

By Zou Xinsheng

What fascinates people with Chinese calligraphy is the charisma of exhibiting such virtues as aesthetics, perseverance, and dedication through a writing system.How it came about that Chinese calligraphy interacts with Chinese characters is still a mystery.Be that as it may, there is much truth in the Chinese character 砚 (yàn), which epitomizes the power of both calligraphy and culture.It stands for “ink stone”—a stone used in Chinese calligraphy and painting for grinding solid ink with water.

Chinese characters have evolved over thousands of years, among which 甲 骨 文 (jiǎgǔwén, oracle bone inscription) is believed to be the origin of Chinese calligraphy and Chinese characters.Recent findings suggest that there were artistic elements in oracle inscription, known as primitive calligraphy.It is as clear as daylight that calligraphy is enlightened by the philosophy of characters, which, subsequently, has instilled subtle influence into the Chinese culture since ancient times.

Someone says beauty defies description； however, that is not the whole story.It is through 文房 四宝 (wénfáng sìbǎo, the Four Treasures of the Study) that the values of Chinese calligraphy are transmitted from one generation to another as much as Chinese cultural flavor pervades in the global community.

The Four Treasures of the Study are 笔 (bǐ, brush), 墨 (mò, ink stick), 纸 (zhǐ, paper), and 砚(yàn, ink stone), all of which are the necessities of study for ancient people.From the perspective of utilitarianism or aesthetics, specifically designed for writing, the ink stone plays a remarkable role in sublimation of Chinese calligraphy and culture.

To have a holistic picture of the ink stone, one should explore the fundamentals of the Chinese character 砚.砚 has a left-right structure: the left part is 石 (shí) meaning “stone, i.e.stone trough” and the right part is 见 (jiàn) meaning “visible.” Literally speaking, 砚 is an stone slab with one side ground sunken for holding ink.It is also called 砚台(yàntai).Before writing or drawing, the writer or painter may fill some water in the sunken part of the slab, and rub an ink stick on the stone to make ink.When the writer needs to have a rest or short leave, he may place the writing brush on the slab.As recorded inShi Ming(《 释 名》,Interpretations of the Roots) by Liu Xi in Han Dynasty, the ink stone is a utensil on which an ink stick is rubbed and a writing brush is dipped.

砚, 石滑也 (yàn,shí huá yě； “An ink stone is glossy”), as illustrated inShuo Wen Jie Zi(《说文解字》,The Origins of Chinese Characters), the first Chinese Dictionary known in the records.Furthermore, besides stone, ink stones can be made of clay, bronze, and porcelain.

The evaluation of ink stones mainly depends on the texture of stones, whose spectrum varies widely according to the regions where they come from.Throughout history, 端砚 (duānyàn, Duan ink stones) produced in Guangdong Province, 歙砚 (shèyàn, She ink stones) in Anhui Province, 洮砚 (táoyàn, Tao ink stones) in Gansu Province, and 澄 泥 砚 (dèngníyàn, Dengni ink stones ) in Shanxi Province are recognized as the “Four Famous Ink Stones” in China, all of which are the achievements of Chinese wisdom.Also, ink stones have been so indispensable to literati that they were personified and addressed as 石君(shí jūn； Mr.Stone, the gentleman), 石友 (shí yǒu； Mr.Stone, the friend), 墨侯 (mò hóu； Mr.Stone, the nobleman) and the like in history.

Chinese calligraphy, the marvelous culture heritage bequeathed from ancestors of the Chinese nation, has cultivated offspring to have a steady outlook on life, during which ink stones pioneer to bridge a gap for cultural diversity.As one of the essential tools and carriers for promoting the unique art of Chinese calligraphy and the distinctive artistic style of Chinese painting, the ink stone has become a work of art for appreciation and for collection in it's own right.