From Grinding Stone to Present Inkstone: On the Preliminary Development of Inkstone's Shape

The inkstone was invented in the unique demand of Chinese traditional calligraphy and painting.Its history could be traced back to the Neolithic Period,its predecessor was the primitive grinding stone,Thus,its original Chinese character is not "砚"(present inkestone) but "研"(grinding stone).The ancient literature,unearthed inkstones and ink materials showed the Chinese character's transformation from "研"(grinding stone) to "砚"(present inkestone) was in correspondence with the initial evolution of inkstone shapes in the Eastern Han Dynasty,which was directly connected with the improvement of shape of ink.