What does Duanyan mean?

According to online search, the stone of Duanyan was produced in Duanzhou (now Zhaoqing), Guangdong Province, so it was called Duanyan.

"Duanyan" is one of the famous traditional stationery in China. Its stone is as fine as jade, does not absorb water, develops ink quickly and has good luster. There is no sound when grinding ink. Artists who make inkstone make use of various natural textures of inkstone to carve exquisite patterns such as dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, mountains, rivers, fish and insects on Duanyan, making Duanyan not only a practical stationery, but also a work of art for people to watch.

For thousands of years, Duanyan has been loved by calligraphers, China painters and the masses. Literati in past dynasties called Duanyan, Xuan paper, Hui ink and Hu pen "Four Treasures of the Study". There was once a legend about Duanyan: One year in the Tang Dynasty, Chang 'an encountered cold weather. The examinees had just finished learning ink and wanted to dip in it, but the ink turned into ice. Only the ink grinded by Guangdong candidates with Guangdong inkstone is bright and fragrant. The invigilator reported the miracle to the emperor. The emperor personally tried the pen, and sure enough, the ink was full and the writing was smooth. From then on, Duanyan became famous all over the world and was listed as a tribute.

In Duanzhou, there are clear springs flowing, surrounded by green hills on both sides, strange rocks standing upright on the mountain, valleys at the foot of the mountain filled with smoke, and potholes for making inkstones are distributed between steep cliffs. Some potholes have accumulated water all the year round, so it is very difficult to mine, and the quarrying time is only about three months a year. Su Dongpo, a poet in the Song Dynasty, once wrote such a passage on a Guangdong inkstone: "A thousand people carry a ribbon, and a hundred people carry a catty, and hang it on a bonfire as a treasure." It can be seen that it is not easy to mine inkstone. Li Heyou, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, said in a poem: "Duanzhou stonework is as clever as a god, crushing the sky and cutting ziyun", which vividly depicts the scene of the ancient Duanzhou working people taking risks and picking inkstones.

The preciousness of Duanyan is also related to its unique stone fancy. In the precious Duanyan stone, there are various patterns and stone cores that naturally grow, which are called "stone products" in history, which is convenient for research and evaluation. There are many stone products in Duanyan, such as blue and white, banana leaf white, ice particles, gold and silver thread, stone eyes and so on. The eye of Duanyan refers to the eye-shaped stone core naturally produced on the inkstone.

Duanyan has a history of 1300 years.