Bokuundo Aged Blue Pine-Soot Ink 'Zakuro' (Pomegranate), 6.5-chō

A one-off aged stick of blue pine-soot ink from the Nara maker Bokuundo, from its 'Hyakusen-boku' series.

Pine-soot ink (shōen-boku) is the older of the two great sumi families and is prized for its cool, bluish tones in diluted washes. Bokuundo is one of the established ink houses of Nara, and the shop lists this stick as a one-of-a-kind aged piece. It describes 'Zakuro' as a bright, warm blue-black: thin washes show a reddish black with a hint of blue, while concentrated ink turns a lustrous purple-navy. It suits kanji and kana at any ink density, and aged ink like this is valued because its character keeps improving as it rests.

Details

• Maker: Bokuundo (墨運堂), Nara
• Name: 石榴 (Zakuro), blue ink (青墨), 6.5-chō size
• Type: pure pine-soot ink (松煙墨), aged (古墨)
• Size: 6.2 × 9.0 × 1.2 cm; approx. 97.5 g
• Box: not specified by the shop; shipped in protective packaging
• Condition: aged stock, unused

Watch: traditional sumi ink making

A TV Osaka news feature on a centuries-old traditional sumi ink-making workshop. (A general craft video — not this piece or maker.)

Please read before ordering

• One of a kind. We confirm availability with the dealer in Japan within one business day of your order; if it has sold we refund in full immediately.
• Ships from New Jersey in 2–3 weeks. Price includes all import duties. Fully insured, signature required.