Considered an exquisite piece of art on its own accord, the Duan ink stone is known to create top quality ink for beautiful calligraphic art work. It is reported by many as the most famous ink stone in China for its ability to create fine ink and for its mesmerizing carved designs.

Duan ink stones are mined in Zhaoqing city situated in the Guangdong Province. The name, Duan, comes from the Duanxi River which is located at the bottom of the mountains where the stone is found. The natural stones are made of volcanic ash and are manually mined from the remote mountains with only hand tools. Duan ink stones are carefully categorized by the mines they have been excavated from.

Originating in the Wude Reign (618-627) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Duan ink stone has remained a popular gift for royalty, nobles and foreign guests. The first ink stones are said to have come from the Bai Shi and Ribing villages around Zhaoqing. Up to 80% of villages near the Duanxi river made their living on the production of ink stones for many centuries. The legend attached to the origin of the Duan ink stone explains the popular image of cranes featured on many stones. A man once saw two cranes on the river side. As he tried to catch them with his net, a single rock appeared in the place of the two cranes. Through a tiny crack in the rock, he could hear the voice of the cranes. He broke open the rock to discover two beautiful ink stones with an enchanted engraving of a crane on each stone.

Duan ink stones created during the earlier dynasties were large and simple with little engraving art. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279) they became widely collected by scholars and more elaborate and skilled designs were included on the stones. Popular symbols for engravings are dragons, cranes, mountains and water. Duan ink stones are still very popular among calligraphic artists and have found their way into many art collections and are fond ornaments in many households.

The production method of creating Duan ink stones includes stone selection, material screening, shape designing, carving, wooden box matching and finally polishing. All steps in the production process are done by hand creating a unique and elegant piece of art.

The fine grinding surface of a Duan ink stone is fitted with many little teeth and ridges to turn ink sticks into fine, smooth liquid ink. Its fast ability to grind ink and preservation of the ink from drying up or becoming frozen are two reasons why Duan ink stones remain an important part of calligraphy today.

The Duan ink stone is valued not only for its ability to create the prefect consistency of ink but also for its artistic charm. It remains a cherished part of calligraphic art that has developed into its own unique art form over the many years.