The Social Life of Inkstones

Artisans and Scholars in Early Qing China

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, Art History, Asian, General Art, History, China
Cover of the book The Social Life of Inkstones by Dorothy Ko, University of Washington Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Dorothy Ko ISBN: 9780295999197
Publisher: University of Washington Press Publication: May 1, 2017
Imprint: University of Washington Press Language: English
Author: Dorothy Ko
ISBN: 9780295999197
Publisher: University of Washington Press
Publication: May 1, 2017
Imprint: University of Washington Press
Language: English

An inkstone, a piece of polished stone no bigger than an outstretched hand, is an instrument for grinding ink, an object of art, a token of exchange between friends or sovereign states, and a surface on which texts and images are carved. As such, the inkstone has been entangled with elite masculinity and the values of wen (culture, literature, civility) in China, Korea, and Japan for more than a millennium. However, for such a ubiquitous object in East Asia, it is virtually unknown in the Western world.

Examining imperial workshops in the Forbidden City, the Duan quarries in Guangdong, the commercial workshops in Suzhou, and collectors� homes in Fujian, The Social Life of Inkstones traces inkstones between court and society and shows how collaboration between craftsmen and scholars created a new social order in which the traditional hierarchy of �head over hand� no longer predominated. Dorothy Ko also highlights the craftswoman Gu Erniang, through whose work the artistry of inkstone-making achieved unprecedented refinement between the 1680s and 1730s.

The Social Life of Inkstones explores the hidden history and cultural significance of the inkstone and puts the stonecutters and artisans on center stage.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

An inkstone, a piece of polished stone no bigger than an outstretched hand, is an instrument for grinding ink, an object of art, a token of exchange between friends or sovereign states, and a surface on which texts and images are carved. As such, the inkstone has been entangled with elite masculinity and the values of wen (culture, literature, civility) in China, Korea, and Japan for more than a millennium. However, for such a ubiquitous object in East Asia, it is virtually unknown in the Western world.

Examining imperial workshops in the Forbidden City, the Duan quarries in Guangdong, the commercial workshops in Suzhou, and collectors� homes in Fujian, The Social Life of Inkstones traces inkstones between court and society and shows how collaboration between craftsmen and scholars created a new social order in which the traditional hierarchy of �head over hand� no longer predominated. Dorothy Ko also highlights the craftswoman Gu Erniang, through whose work the artistry of inkstone-making achieved unprecedented refinement between the 1680s and 1730s.

The Social Life of Inkstones explores the hidden history and cultural significance of the inkstone and puts the stonecutters and artisans on center stage.

More books from University of Washington Press

Cover of the book Sanctuary and Asylum by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book Over the Mountains Are Mountains by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book Phoenix Eyes and Other Stories by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book The Wolves of Mount McKinley by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book Looking for Betty MacDonald by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book Plowed Under by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book Vagrants & Accidentals by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book Samuel Beckett by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book Classical Seattle by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book Becoming Big League by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book Literati Storytelling in Late Medieval China by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book The Retirement Association at the University of Washington by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book White Grizzly Bear's Legacy by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book I'm No Hero by Dorothy Ko
Cover of the book Forming the Early Chinese Court by Dorothy Ko
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy