Ａ Ｍａｓｔｅｒ ｏｆ Ｉｎｋｓｔｏｎｅｓ

What is needed to make a master of inkstones? In the case of Liu Quanyou， you can never be sure. First of all， you need a human being. But what’s so special about Liu Quanyou born in 1963 in Jinan， capital of Eastern China’s Shandong Province? Does the army officer father prediction of the son’s talent help? Does his stay in Hangzhou for a few years before he came back to Jinan at 14 when his father left the army explain his talent? Probably not. A look into Liu Quanyou’s early life probably does not explain how he became a master of inkstones.

Yet， the fact that he had a passion for traditional Chinese arts and Peking Opera in particular in his childhood years probably explains potentialities， but what kids in those years did not have a passion for traditional Chinese arts and Peking Opera in particular? In his younger years， Liu Quanyou worked as a factory worker， accountant， and private businessman. Nothing is so special about Liu Quanyou if you consider how many workers， accountants and private businesspeople China has. Yet， there is something a little bit special about Liu Quanyou. In all these years， he kept practicing calligraphy and painting. Then there came the big turning point in his life. In the mid 1990s， he became a disciple of Liu Ketang， a national master of arts and crafts.

Yes， working with a national master plays a big part in Liu Quanyou becoming a master himself. An artist well versed in poetry， calligraphy， painting and seal engraving， Liu Ketang is a leading master of inkstone-making in China. He became a national master in 1994 when he had just turned 40. The inkstones he makes have been presented as state gifts to heads of foreign countries.

What else does Liu Quanyou need to become a master of inkstones? It goes without saying that he needs stones， the raw material for making inkstones. In his case， he needs Xugong stones， a special kind of stone produced in Xugongdian， about 37 kilometers out of Linyi County in Shandong Province. Never underestimate the significant part the special stones played in his becoming a national master. The stone’s texture， color combination， quality， and appearance and natural affinity with ink are all ideal for inkstones.

Inkstones made of Xugong Stones first had its big time in the 1970s. Master calligraphers loved the inkstones. The old-generation makers have explored the hidden beauty of the stones， added cultural elements into finished inkstones， turned ordinary inkstones into artworks， and written books on their understanding of the stones and their artistic features. The practices and academic discussions have also played an important part in helping Liu Quanyou fashion his inkstones.

Liu Quanyou has followed the footsteps of his predecessors and broken new trails in his exploration. The calligraphy he has been practicing and landscape he has been painting have helped him understand the Chinese aesthetics. That explains why he seeks to express the original beauty of nature in inkstones and why he emphasizes learning from ancient artists. He brings beauty， philosophy， poetry into his works of art. His creations are noted for their spatial beauty， animation， lucidity， symbolism， elegance， and spontaneity.

So what is the answer to the question: what comes together in his becoming a master of inkstones? His passion for traditional Chinese arts has played a part; his practice and exploration of Chinese calligraphy and painting and seal engraving has played a part; his study with Liu Ketang has played a part. His use of Xugong stones does help; his imagination? Precisely. His devotion? Definitely! But when it comes to assumptions such as this one--knowing right friends and being in the right place at the right moment gets you to be a disciple of a master--answers may be many and indefinite.#8194;