Antique Japanese Calligraphy Inkstone With A Personal History!

This is an Antique Japanese full sized ink stone called a Suzuri (硯).It is made of slate and was used during the Meiji period. This Suzuri began its useful life in June of 1881 in the town of Nikko in Tochigi prefecture in central Japan. In that moth Shogo Okumura carved, with grate skill, the date and his home address into a recess of this Suzuri. They also carved the recess. This stone was well used from that time on with regularity presumably by Okumura. In the 1800s in japan western ink pens where not common and all writing was done with a brush, ink stone and ink stick. The stones themselves where often personalized like this one but not often with such calligraphic grace as this. To make ink pour a small amount of water on to the high flat part of the suzuri.

Holding the ink stick (also avalabe at Japanpicker) vertically and scrape the stick against the wet stone in small circles. The stone will grind away the solid ink creating liquid ink! Add more water to make more ink, the more you grind, the darker the ink. As the ink builds up it flows down the slope into the suzuri's low basin collecting there for use in writing or drawing. Add more water to lighten the ink into beautiful shades of gray.Having been in storage for more than half a century it has some wear from years of use visable in the picturs. The corners have chipping and scratching left by its previous owner in Jpapn a century ago which gives this suzuri historical character. It remains in fine condition and is still in prefect working order, ready to grind sumi ink sticks.The stone measures 5 1/4" by 3" by 3/4" (13.5 x 7.5 x 2cm).