Helan Inkstone Making Technique

Helan inkstones are worked from "Helan stone" quarried near Xiaogunzhongkou on Helan Mountain, some forty kilometres west of Yinchuan; the stone bears twin purple and green colours and was already recorded in the Gazetteer of Ningxia Prefecture compiled in 1780 under the Qianlong reign. The inkstone-making technique of Helan entered the third national ICH list in 2011 under traditional skills, project number VIII-133.

Helan inkstone makers shape each piece to its stone, working with relief, in-the-round and openwork carving to weave the natural purple-green banding into compositions of landscape, flower, bird or figure; the finished stone raises ink smoothly without harming the brush and keeps leftover ink from drying or moulding for days, uniting utility with beauty.

Ranked among China's ten great inkstones, the Helan inkstone is one of Ningxia's most representative traditional crafts, carrying the culture of Helan stone and the carving tradition of the northwest, and holding real value for the study of Chinese inkstone culture and regional craft.

Helan inkstones and the craft behind them can be seen at the Ningxia Museum and related transmission centres.