Hou-Ou ( 鳳凰 ) sumi ink stick - Koboku ( 古墨 Antique Inkstick ) -

Hou-Ou — 鳳 (Hou) 凰 (Ou) — takes its name from a legendary spirit bird of Chinese mythology.

Made from superfine rapeseed oil soot and genuine indigo, this piece was produced in 1970 — a genuine koboku, over half a century into the slow maturing that only time can give an inkstick. Ink connoisseurs prize koboku for what age alone can do to it: after around five years the colour settles and the stick's individual character begins to emerge, and by a decade or more it gains depth, its pale washes show a sharper, more defined bleed, and it glides more smoothly across the stone.

Over fifty years in, this piece sits well past that threshold, carrying the quiet indigo undertone that gives Kobaien's bluish inks their depth.

A rare chance to own a piece of Kobaien's history, matured far beyond the point where most inksticks are ever used — as legendary, in its own way, as the bird it's named for.

Production Year: 1970

SIZE: Width:27mm Length:112mm Thickness:18mm Weight:54gram