Yanjian 硯箋

The Yanjian 硯箋 “Notes on inkstones” were written during the Southern Song period by Gao Sixun 高似孫 (1158-1231), who is also known as the author of xxx. The book of 4 juan length was finished in 1223.

Fascicle 2 lists 20 different types of She inkstones, for which the following chapter indicated more than sixty different places of origin, down to pits where the stones were cut. The last part of the book quotes from poetry and prose writings in which she stones are mentioned. Among these, many authors were famous writers like Fu Xuan 傅玄, Li Bai 李白, Wang Can 王粲 or Han Yu 韓愈. Part of these texts is already quoted in the first three parts of the book. Gao’s book was published late in the period, and can therefore be seen as a gist of Song-period knowledge on inkstones from Shezhou. It also adds some information not found in earlier texts, for instance, statements concerning inkstone material from the prefecture of Duanzhou 端州. Yet the text also contains some errors.

It is found in the series Baichuan xuehai 百川學海 and Siku quanshu 四庫全書.