Longwei Inkstone

Longwei Inkstone

　　Longwei Inkstone is one of China’s Four Famous Inkstones. It gets its name from the Longwei Mountain in Wuyuan, where the inkstone material is mined. As Wuyuan was historically under the jurisdiction of Shezhou, the inkstone is also known as She Inkstone. According to the *Wuyuan Inkstone Annals*, during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, a hunter surnamed Ye accidentally discovered it in the mountains. He used it to make an inkstone, which proved to be moist and of fine quality, producing a radiant grind. Several generations later, Ye’s descendants presented it to the local authorities, and it became known throughout the land. The Southern Tang Dynasty’s last ruler, Emperor Li Yu, praised it as “the finest inkstone under heaven.” From then on, the reputation of Longwei Inkstone grew steadily, and it was designated as a tribute item in every dynasty. The inkstone’s esteemed status comes not only from its exquisitely crafted carvings but also from its rare and precious stone quality (its varieties include eyebrow patterns, silk patterns, gold stars, silver stars, golden halos, golden flowers, fish roe, jade belts, bluish-green, and purplish-red). In addition, our garden currently develops and produces root carvings, bamboo carvings, exhibits unusual stones, and creates potted plants.