Ogatsu Inkstones
Ogatsu Inkstones
Established as a craft industry many hundreds of years ago, the making of these inkstones is carried out by specialists, who handle the mining of the stone, cutting it, smoothing the surfaces with a sander, and carving. Presented below are the stages of production starting from the carving and going on through to the finishing of one of these fine inkstones.
Stage 1
Forming an Edg: An edge is formed around the stone by placing the end of a chisel handle against the shoulder and using the weight of the body to carve the stone. To do this successfully is not merely a matter of strength because forming the gently curving edge also requires skill and technique.
Stage 2
Rough Carving: The flat bed on which the ink stick is rubbed and the depression where the ink collects are now roughly carved with confident strokes of the chisel down to more or less the right depth.
Click on the picture for QuickTime Movie
Stage 3
Carving the Depression: The depression where the ink collects takes up one-third of the whole stone; and at its deepest point, it is two-thirds of the thickness of the stone. The mason constantly uses his hand to check the size and depth of this depression as he is carving. No measure of any kind is used. Everything is done by touch. The gentle slope from the flat bed into the depression simply aids the flow of ink into the depression.
Stage 4
Sanding: A whetstone and wet paper are used to rub down first the inside, outside and then all of the surfaces to finish them. One of the most important parts of the stone is, of course, the flat bed on which an ink stick is rubbed. This is handled most carefully, and the surface is constantly checked with the hand as it is rubbed down.
Click on the picture for QuickTime Movie
Stage 5
Finishing the Bottom: The bottom of the stone is now made flat. If the bottom is not finished properly, the quality of the work carried out on the depression and flat rubbing bed will be to no avail. A flat base to the stone is essential, so that when it is used, the force of rubbing the ink stick is evenly distributed over the whole area of the bottom. It takes just as much effort, in fact, to smooth off the bottom as it does to carve the stone, and the craftsman must concentrate the whole weight of his body behind his hand as he levels off the bottom of the ink stone.
Stage 6
Finishing: There are three ways in which the stones are finished, either with natural lacquer, a form of heat treatment or by giving them a coat of ink. Each finish has is own distinctive luster.
