Kobaien 1970 Aged Indigo-Blended Ink 'Ryūshō Hōbu' (Soaring Dragon, Dancing Phoenix), 2-chō

A Kobaien ink stick made in 1970 and aged for more than half a century: fine rapeseed soot blended with natural indigo.

Calligraphers value old ink (koboku) because the animal glue settles over decades, and the ink grinds smoother and spreads in subtler gradations than fresh sticks do. Kobaien, founded in Nara in 1577, is the oldest working sumi maker in Japan. This stick is one of its top-grade oil-soot inks in a pale-blue tone: ultra-fine rapeseed-oil soot mixed with genuine natural indigo, which the shop recommends for finished calligraphy and painting. The moulded name means 'the dragon soars, the phoenix dances'.

Details

• Maker: Kobaien (古梅園), Nara
• Name: 龍翔鳳舞 (Ryūshō Hōbu), 2-chō size
• Made: 1970 (per the shop)
• Type: top-grade rapeseed-oil soot ink with natural indigo (pale-blue tone)
• Size: 1.8 × 9.8 × 1.4 cm; approx. 21 g
• Box: not specified by the shop; shipped in protective packaging
• Condition: aged stock, unused

Watch: sumi ink being made at Kobaien, Nara

A calligraphy channel visits Kobaien in Nara to film its traditional handmade sumi ink production. (Not this specific piece.)

Please read before ordering

• Limited availability. 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.