Yanshanzhai zaji 硯山齋雜記

Yanshanzhai zaji 硯山齋雜記 "Miscellaneous Records from the Studio of Grinding Mountain" is a “brush-notes”-style book (biji 筆記) written by an anonymous author, perhaps Sun Chengze 孫承澤 (1592-1676), during the mid-Qing period. Sun’s studio name was 研山齋, which is why he might have been the author. However, the book quotes frequently from Cha Shenxing’s 查慎行 (1650-1727) poetry collection Jingyetang shi 敬業堂詩, and Wang Shizhen’s 王士禎 (1634-1711) Juyilu 居易錄, who both lived later than Sun Chengze. As an alternative, the book of 4 juan might be the work of Sun’s grandson Sun Jiong 孫炯, author of the Yanshanzhai zhenwan jilan 研山齋珍玩集覽, a catalogue on collectibles . The Zaji is divided into three parts. The first discusses the six types of characters (liushu 六書) and some issues of seals, publication and types of writing. The second part is dedicated to discussions on ink sticks and ink slabs, and the last part focuses on old bronze and pottery vessels. The text is included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書 and Siku quanshu zhenben shuji 四庫全書珍本初集.