CHANGCHUN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- In the eyes of Peng Zushu, 85, every inkstone is a small world with a unique story to tell.
A calligrapher in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, Peng has carved 108 Songhua stone inkstones over the past 15 years.
"Every inkstone has a name, and I have made poems for most of them, as they differ in shape, color and vein," he says.
Among his works, an 81-cm-long and 38-cm-wide purple inkstone was inscribed with 20,000 characters.
It took more than a year for the inscription, using a magnifying glass.
The inkstone, together with the writing brush, ink stick and paper, are called the "four treasures of the study" in China's traditional calligraphy and ink painting culture.
Though brushes have been replaced by pens, and inkstones have lost their function for mixing ink among most Chinese, they are now popular with calligraphy lovers and collectors.
Peng earned his fame in 2002 for inscribing the Chinese classic novel "The Dream of Red Mansions," over 600,000 characters, in 82 stones with 10 years.
His interests in Songhua stone started at the age of 72, when he decided to carve Songhua inkstone.
Peculiar to Changbai Mountains, Jilin Province, Songhua stone is considered one of the best raw materials for making inkstone. Only emperors used this kind of inkstone in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
He started by visiting famous inkstone masters across the country to learn their carving skills, combining the carving with his own calligraphy skills and making every one of his designs unique.
"Songhua inkstone is twice as hard as traditional stone, and I have to hold the knife with my both hands to carve each character," he says.
The carving process is dull, and the hours spent in the work have left him with a waist problem. His body is tilted to one side.
"Sometimes when I was driven crazy, I just shouted or cried in the corner, but went on with my work," he says.
Last year, Peng opened a gallery, where he now sells porcelain and jade stones for a living and also exhibits his inkstones.
"Since inkstones are fading from ordinary life, I hope they last by making them artistic collections," he says.
