Chengshi moyuan 程氏墨苑

Chengshi moyuan 程氏墨苑 is a book on ink production written during the late Ming period 明 (1368-1644) by Cheng Junfang 程君房, who hailed from Shexian 歙縣, Anhui. He was a famous producer of ink-sticks for painting and calligraphy whose products were even purchased by the imperial court of the Wanli Emperor 萬曆帝 (r. 1572-1619). One of Cheng's disciples, but also his fiercest competitor, Fang Yulu 方于魯, also wrote a book on the topic with the title Fangshi mopu 方氏墨譜.

Fang's book has a length of 12 juan and is a record of the various kinds of ink products made by the Cheng. It illustrated with drawings. The book divides the ink products into six categories: the first category is named "Heavenly work" (Yuangong 元工); the second category is named "geography" (Yudi 輿地); the third one is named "officials" (Fenguan 人官); the fourth one "flowers of objects" (Wuhua 物華); the fifth category is named "admonitions to the scholars" (Ruzhen 儒箴); and the sixth category is named "dark yelow" (Zihuang 緇黃). To each of these categories, two fascicles are dedicated, with text and images elaborately written and engraved.

Figures 1-2. Two round ink-sticks from the Chengshi moyuan 程氏墨苑

Dragon and phoenix (right), and the crow in the moon (left top), with starry constellations on the back side (left bottom).

Cheng Junfang can be regarded as one of the great ink makers of ancient China, and the quality of his ink was beyond the reach of his predecessors. The text is found in the series Xuxiu siku quanshu 續修四庫全書.