Dublin Core
Title
Oil Soot Ink (油煙墨）
Subject
Chinese Calligraphy
Writing Tools
Calligraphy Tools
Ink
Solid Ink
Inksticks
Song Dynasty (宋朝)
Description
Oil soot ink is made using the soot of burnt tung oil or various other oils. There is more glue (animal glue, e.g. egg white, fish skin, or ox hide glues) in this type of ink than the other kinds, so it does not spread as much. Oil soot ink has more lustre, and it often used for writing calligraphy and well as paintings (e.g. flowers, birds, landscapes)
Date
Song Dynasty (宋朝)
Format
Solid
Rectangular
Often have inscriptions or images incorporated in the design.
Type
Physical Object
Identifier
oilsootink
Instructional Method
Hold the inkstick straight while grinding it against the inkstone.
Grind the inkstick with moderate speed and strength, and add an appropriate amount of water to ensure the concentration of the ink is maintained.
Only grind as much ink as needed, because when ink is left unused for more than a day, the soot and glue starts to separate, and the ink becomes unusable.
Once the process of ink grinding is finished, remove the inkstick from the inkstone immediately to prevent them from sticking to each other. Store the inkstick in a container or box of some sort to prevent the sun's direct contact as well as humidity.
If you accidentally stain your clothing with ink, wash it with water immediately. If water is unable to complete remove the stain, try to use cooked rice. This is because the starch in rice can stick to the small soot particles in the ink, making it easier to wash off.
Item Relations
| This Item | Relation | Item: Pine Soot Ink (松煙墨） |
| Item: Liquid Ink (墨汁） | Relation | This Item |