LARGE DUAN INK STONE PRODUCED BY THE WELL KNOWN INKSTONE ARTISAN MUO YONGZHONG IN ZHAOQING China. Engraving in bas-relief with a scholar go to visit your friend by boat conception, and highlights the fine shape of the stones and engraving skills. Inkstone is the most important one of the "four treasures in study".Ever since there was paper and Chinese ink writing there was inkstone as well. The earliest existing reference dated to five thousand years ago. The ordinary use of inkstone is to help the ink stick to rub on the stone to make the ink for writing and painting. Each stone is unique. There are various distinctive stone markings, due to various rock materials imbedded in the stone, these minerals creat different colors and textures of stone. But every stone has a smooth, satin sheen and you can feel the polished surface when you touch it. According to existing records, people started making Duan ink stones in the Tang Dynasty. It has a fabricated flow, it protects the brush, and it almost never freezes, even when placed in low temperatures. Measure: Height 2.76 ", Width 11.42 ",Length 14.57 ",Weight almost 50 lb. Domestic shipping (48 states) : $259.95.