Compiled by Li Mingning Xuejuan Changdao Tuoji Inkstone, also known as Venus Snow Wave Inkstone, is one of the famous Lu inkstones. It is made of Venus Snow Wave stone, a specialty of Tuoji Island. The use of Tuoji stone to make inkstones began in the Xining period of the Northern Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and has a history of nearly a thousand years. Tuoji Inkstone was as famous as She Inkstone in the Northern Song Dynasty. The one with Venus Snow Wave pattern is the best among inkstones and is the favorite of literati and poets. The reason why Tuoji Inkstone is known as the "Venus Snow Wave Inkstone" is due to the peculiar geological movement. The Bohai Sea, which was originally an ancient land, has undergone hundreds of millions of years of vicissitudes and great changes, forming a small piece of unique geological structure in the western corner of Tuoji. The color of Tuoji inkstone is black with a slight hint of dark blue and gray-green. Because it contains trace amounts of natural copper, it shines like gold dust sprinkled on it. There are also obvious snow wave patterns on the stone, which are small like ripples in autumn water and large like rolling snow waves, so it is called Venus Snow Wave Inkstone. The production process of Tuoji inkstone is relatively complicated, with many steps, mainly divided into material collection, conception, carving, polishing (i.e. polishing) and other process flows. The first is material collection. Tuoji stone is a shale structure with dark lines. When collecting materials, you must look at the texture of the stone, find the dark lines and stone patterns, and drill successfully. The second is conception. This is the most difficult and most critical step in carving inkstones. Especially for special stones, you must not use a knife easily. Some of them require several months of conception to achieve the best creativity. The third step is carving. Design a pattern on the stone and apply the art according to the material. Use a cutting saw to cut off part of the excess area. Use a grinding wheel machine to make a general outline. Then use a carving knife to process the details. We should make full use of the natural texture, stone skin, stone pattern, color, gold star, gold line, etc. of the stone, prefer simplicity to complexity, and use the knife as little as possible, so that the carved inkstone will be exquisite and tasteful. The fourth step is polishing. First use 300-400 water sandpaper, and then use 800-1000 water sandpaper to polish it carefully. The carving of Tuoji inkstone is delicate and exquisite, with a broad artistic conception and ingenious design; the pattern is stable and changing, the texture is clearly layered, and the momentum is majestic and simple; its conception, style, shape, and craftsmanship have reached a high level. As one of the famous Lu inkstones, its inkstone carving skills have distinct characteristics of the times, regional characteristics, and specific historical, cultural and scientific values. In historical records, literati and poets praised Tuoji inkstone. According to the "Lu Inkstone", "making inkstones with Tuoji stone began in the Northern Song Dynasty." The anonymous "Inkstone Products" said: "In the Song Dynasty, Tuoji stone was carved into inkstones. The color is dark blue, the texture is hard and fine, and it is very good at holding ink. The ones with gold stars and snow waves are the best and are very difficult to find." The "Scholar's Four Treasures Paper and Inkstone" records that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty wrote a seven-character quatrain in praise of Tuoji Inkstone: "The Camel Base (Tuoji) stone is carved with five dragons, and there is no need to praise the horse liver for holding ink. If you set it as an example in the poem, it is called the same island thinness and suburb coldness." This inkstone is now in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. The Tuoji inkstone carving technique, with its unique characteristics, is combined with the Chinese inkstone carving art, and is famous in the world. It is a treasure given to mankind by nature and carries the profound cultural heritage of Changdao.