Kobaien 'Inchū Hassen' (Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup) 10-chō Nara Sumi Ink

A 10-chō ink stick from Kobaien of Nara, moulded after the 'Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup', the drinking poets celebrated by Du Fu.

Kobaien, founded in Nara in 1577, is the oldest surviving maker of solid sumi in Japan. Nara-zumi is made by kneading soot with animal glue (nikawa), pressing it into carved wooden moulds and drying it slowly for months, and a well-made stick improves for years as the glue settles. This stick belongs to Kobaien's highest grade of rapeseed-oil soot ink. According to the shop it grinds to a glossy pure black when concentrated and a tea-toned black when thinned, and it suits kanji, kana and sutra copying.

Details

• Maker: Kobaien (古梅園), Nara
• Name: 飲中八仙 (Inchū Hassen), 10-chō size
• Type: top-grade rapeseed-oil soot ink (油煙墨)
• Size: 5.0 × 12.0 × 1.8 cm; approx. 150 g
• Box: not specified by the shop; shipped in protective packaging
• Condition: new

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.