£28.21

Chinese Pine Soot Ink Sticks x2 - Silk Case included.

Two beautifully hand painted Chinese Pine Soot ink Sticks.

In China they burn 18 litres of  (for instance) pine oil to obtain 1 litre of pine soot.

This they then mix with young deer horn glue, extract of bear gall bladder, perfumes, secret medicines, and other ingredients to create a plastercine like dough that is kneaded considerably.
This is then forced into wooden shaped molds and each ink stick within is left to dry for a period of years sometimes.
Hand painted and carved these blocks are CHinese Soot Inksticks. In use, they are applied to a little water on an ink stone and gently moved across the surface of the stone in a circular motion and this dissolves the soot ink again for use as ink.
In this form it doesnt freeze in Winter, nor evaporate in Summer in Stick form.

Product Code: CHI95