Calligraphy ink (墨)

1. Chinese calligraphy ink, part 1: how to prepare ink
2. Chinese calligraphy ink, part 2: how to apply ink onto the brush

Calligraphy ink (墨) has a long history. Pigments were used by Yangshao people already 7000 years ago. First Chinese iInk in hardened form (ink stick) was manufactured during the Han Dynasty (漢朝, 206 B.C.E. – 220 C.E.). Today, ink is also sold in liquid form (chemically enhanced). Ink, just like wine, the older it gets the better its quality (although its expiry date is not indefinite).