中国砚台 | Chinese Inkstone

中国砚台 | Chinese Inkstone
非遗中的玄玉之魂 | The Soul of Mysterious Jade in Intangible Heritage

中文 | Chinese
砚台，史称“研”，与笔、墨、纸并称“文房四宝”。作为中国首批国家级非物质文化遗产（2006年），砚雕技艺承载着三千年文人精神图腾。

英文 | English
The inkstone, historically known as "Yan," ranks alongside the brush, ink, and paper as one of the "Four Treasures of the Study." Recognized among China's first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage items (2006), the art of inkstone carving embodies the spiritual totem of Chinese literati spanning three millennia.

材质 | Material

中文 | Chinese
取天地灵璞，成四鼎之尊：
端砚（广东肇庆）：石质幼滑如婴肌，暗藏“石眼”如星河
歙砚（安徽黄山）：金星罗纹似云汉，叩击有清玉之声
洮砚（甘肃卓尼）：绿漪潋滟赛翡翠，得于黄河深峡之险
澄泥砚（山西绛州）：河泥千锤百炼，火中涅槃成陶

英文 | English
Forged from nature's pristine essence, four great types reign supreme:

Duan Inkstone (Zhaoqing, Guangdong): Stone texture as smooth as an infant's skin, concealing "stone eyes" like a starry river.

She Inkstone (Huangshan, Anhui): Adorned with golden stars and cloud-like ripples, it produces a clear, jade-like chime when struck.

Tao inkstone (Zhuoni, Gansu): Rippling green hues rivaling jadeite, quarried perilously from deep gorges of the Yellow River.

Chengni Inkstone (Jiangzhou, Shanxi): River clay tempered through relentless pounding, reborn as ceramic in the crucible of fire.

工艺 | Craftsmanship

中文 | Chinese
匠人执刀如笔，在方寸间演绎：
▸ 深浮雕凿出山水乾坤
▸ 线刻勾勒祥云瑞兽
▸ 镂雕穿透石层见洞天
一方名砚需经108道工序，成就“琢璞为玉，化顽石为灵器”的东方哲学。

英文 | English
Artisans wield their knives like brushes, conjuring worlds upon a palm-sized surface:
▸ Deep Relief: Chiseling out landscapes embodying heaven and earth.
▸ Line Carving: Etching auspicious clouds and mythical beasts with fine lines.
▸ Openwork Carving: Piercing through stone layers to reveal hidden grottos.
A renowned inkstone demands up to 108 meticulous steps, realizing the Eastern philosophy of "carving the uncut jade from the rough, transforming stubborn stone into a vessel of spirit."

文心 | Spirit of the Literati

中文 | Chinese
苏轼藏砚铭：“以此进道常若渴”；米芾抱砚眠，称“石友”。砚池墨海不仅是书画工具，更是士大夫“修身如磨砚”的精神道场——墨越磨越醇，心越砺越明。

英文 | English
Su Shi inscribed on his treasured inkstone: "Just as thirst drives one to seek truth." Mi Fu famously slept embracing his inkstone, calling it his "stone friend." The inkstone's well was more than a calligraphy tool; it served as the scholar-official's spiritual arena for "cultivating oneself like grinding an inkstick" – the more the ink is ground, the richer it becomes; the more the mind is polished, the clearer it shines.