Who Invented the Hotpot Inkstone?
A while ago, I asked several major AI platforms, and I found that none of them knew who invented the hotpot inkstone. But today when I searched on Baidu asking “Who invented the hotpot inkstone?”, I was pleasantly surprised to find that someone had created a Baidu Encyclopedia entry for Qi Ming Wen Fang, specifically mentioning that I invented the hotpot inkstone. Then I asked Doubao the same question, but Doubao still didn’t know who invented the hotpot inkstone.
I know many people don’t really care about this question. On social media platforms, people are more likely to ask whether the hotpot inkstone is useful or whether it’s worth buying. But as the inventor of the hotpot inkstone, I still care about this, so I decided to post my previous Baidu Q&A responses here. I also hope that more friends who truly love traditional Chinese stationery and calligraphy can create more useful, revolutionary, and popular stationery items in the future.
Who Invented the Hotpot Inkstone?
As I mentioned at the beginning, the hotpot inkstone was invented by Qi Ming. My legal name on my ID card is Liu Qi. The hotpot inkstone was first released by Qi Ming Wen Fang in 2019 as a patented inkstone (Patent No.: ZL202121001172.2).
This is the patent certificate I received for the hotpot inkstone.
What’s the Difference Between a Hotpot Inkstone and Regular Plain Inkstones?
The biggest difference between a hotpot inkstone and regular plain inkstones is that it has two circles – an inner circle and an outer circle.
All hotpot inkstones have inner and outer circles.
The inner circle holds the ink, and it works the same way as traditional round ink pools or round ink containers.
The hotpot inkstone uses only the inner circle to hold ink.
The outer circle holds water. This ensures that when you put the lid on, the hotpot inkstone’s internal environment becomes moist due to water evaporation. In other words, it creates a high-humidity, relatively sealed space that helps keep the ink moist.
The outer circle of the hotpot inkstone is used to hold water.
This invention is completely based on the logic of using liquid ink, not the traditional logic of grinding ink sticks to get ink.
Who Invented the Hotpot Inkstone?-The Story Behind the Invention
In 2019, I published an article called “Hotpot Inkstone and Qi Ming Wen Fang’s Double 11 New Products” on my WeChat official account “Teacher Qi Ming.” It detailed the invention process of the hotpot inkstone.
Originally, Qi Ming wanted to make it from ceramic, but unfortunately, the supplier I found wasn’t a professional porcelain manufacturer. He said it would be very difficult, meaning he didn’t want to make it for me. Later, I had to ask the factory that previously made stone inkstones for me to produce it.
As for how the hotpot inkstone came about, I mentioned this in previous articles. The hotpot inkstone was initially inspired when a calligraphy friend sent me a picture similar to the one below. Pay attention to the ink container on the table.
Notice the ink container on the table in the picture.
This calligraphy class used an ink container that was basically a white ceramic ink bowl placed in a ceramic plate. But over time, it had become completely black from ink that dripped while scraping the brush and from scraping ink along the plate’s edge.
This was the original design prototype for the hotpot inkstone!
At that time, this friend wanted to use ceramic to make an ink container that combined both parts into one. Actually, there were similar combined containers on the market at that time, but they weren’t designed properly. Or maybe the designers just looked at the Pi Yong inkstone design and made a ceramic version. In any case, those products didn’t become popular online.
Who Invented the Hotpot Inkstone?-Qi Ming’s Three Revolutionary Changes
Qi Ming combined some design ideas that had been spinning in my head and made three groundbreaking changes:
- Added a dome-shaped lid
- Designed an inner circle that’s obviously higher than the outer circle
- Designed a deeper and wider outer circle for storing water
I’m not very educated, but looking at this design, it reminded me of traditional old hotpots, so I named it the “hotpot inkstone.”
This is a traditional old-style hotpot.
Traditional inkstones rarely have dome-shaped lids – they’re usually flat or protruding.
For example, the inkstone lids shown in the two pictures below (when Qi Ming was young, I saw exactly this type on my grandfather’s desk, especially that spout in the corner – I thought it was for wiping brushes, and I loved wiping my brush there as a child).
Like the lid on the left in this picture.
Or like the lid on the right in this picture.
Although ancient times had similar inkstone designs, like the Pi Yong inkstone mentioned earlier.
Ancient Pi Yong inkstone.
But the Pi Yong inkstone’s inner circle was still designed based on the logic of grinding ink sticks. When ancient people ground ink and couldn’t finish it that day, they would usually choose to wash it clean immediately. Ancient people often said, “Better to go three days without washing your face than one day without washing your inkstone.”
The inkstone had to be washed very clean, with no old ink remaining, otherwise the dried and cracked residual ink would damage the inkstone surface. They also needed to nourish the inkstone with clean water, but the clean water couldn’t soak the grinding area. But I’m getting off topic here.
Who Invented the Hotpot Inkstone?-Key Differences from Traditional Inkstones
Getting back to the point – the biggest difference between the hotpot inkstone and Pi Yong inkstones or other plain inkstones is that the hotpot inkstone is designed with the goal of keeping leftover liquid ink fresh and moist.
It’s not designed for fresh ink ground from ink sticks – ink ground from ink sticks becomes separated old ink overnight. It’s also not designed for ink sticks, although it can grind ink.
The biggest difference from the Pi Yong inkstone is that the inner circle is higher than the outer circle, so scraping ink doesn’t dirty the outer circle. Also, the outer circle is wider than the Pi Yong inkstone to store water and ensure moisture retention when covered.
The wider outer circle makes it easier to clean when the inkstone gets unbearably dirty – you can reach in with an adult’s index finger or use a sponge brush. As mentioned above, because the outer circle stores water, it has a moisture-retention function when the lid is on.
A slightly higher inner circle makes scraping ink easier.
Scraping ink won’t dirty the edges.
Who Invented the Hotpot Inkstone?-Evolution from Ancient Designs
Further evolved from the Pi Yong inkstone is the so-called Gu Ma inkstone.
Gu Ma inkstone.
This inkstone was still designed based on the logic of grinding ink. Later, when people rarely ground ink anymore, the circular platform inside designed for grinding ink, or the so-called inner circle, started being completely ground flat because people found it inconvenient. This led to the so-called single-beat inkstones produced in Zhaoqing, Guangdong.
Single-beat inkstone.
But they still didn’t realize that with a completely flat bottom, poured ink would quickly spread out. This isn’t as good as the later hotpot inkstone design that made the inner circle bowl-shaped. The advantage of the bowl shape is that even a small amount of ink will gather at the lowest point at the bottom.
The hotpot inkstone’s ink-holding inner circle has a bowl shape that helps gather ink.
Now You Know Who Invented the Hotpot Inkstone!
After the hotpot inkstone was released on Double 12, 2019 at Qi Ming Wen Fang, monthly sales once reached over 1,000 pieces.
However, good times didn’t last long. Starting in 2021, various counterfeit hotpot inkstones began appearing. Some competitors even achieved monthly sales of 3,000+ pieces. Because it became so popular, some completely different inkstone designs that weren’t even hotpot inkstone format were also named “hotpot inkstones” because of the traffic.
The Original and Authentic Source
But regardless, Qi Ming Wen Fang is the creator of the “hotpot inkstone” name and the inventor of the “hotpot inkstone” design. You can always buy the most authentic hotpot inkstones at Qi Ming Wen Fang.
Before this, no one had designed traditional stone inkstones with the double-circle, water-adding, lid-covered moisture-increasing format. No one had designed the inner circle to be much higher than the outer circle based on the logic of using liquid ink.
Although there are many inkstones with similar designs, only after the hotpot inkstone appeared did the needs for leftover ink preservation, moisture retention, and anti-stick lid coverage become so clearly expressed through this design format.
From then on, people no longer had to worry about lids getting stuck to inkstones or leftover ink drying into ink film or ink particles.
As customers who bought hotpot inkstones from Qi Ming Wen Fang have said: “This is an inkstone that could only be designed by someone who truly writes calligraphy themselves and deeply understands the pain points of traditional plain inkstones when using bottled liquid ink.”
Reviews of Hotpot Inkstones from Amazon Customers：
I purchased this with fingers crossed. I needed an ink well for my dip pen for embarking on ink sketching. This lovely stone ink well is PERFECT for my needs!!! It is well designed. The ink well sits in the middle with the surrounding area to catch drips. The lids handle is the perfect pen rest to keep my desk surface ink free. It was shipped with a little sponge gizmo for cleaning the well. I highly recommend this little beauty!!!
Functional, simple, elegant. I have a lot of beautiful ones for “Qing Gong” – collective-display-only, but only use this one for daily writing. It is lightweight, easy to clean, and if the ready-to-use liquid ink is too light, I just the use Dry Ink stick to thicken it right on the ink stone dish. Good design. I also like the feel and look of the stone.
I usually don’t do reviews, but I feel I need to write this one. The inkstone comes with very nice packaging condition. The stone quality is as good as other inkstones as I see it. The design and size are just about right.It is well made, no defects, cracks at all! And it is at very reasonable price. It keeps ink from drying after use, for quite long time. It is ideal for someone who practices writing a few times in a day.It feels good when touch it by hand. This is a piece that designer has given a good thoughts in it. It is an artistic piece with very practical functions.
After I use this, my ink able to keep wet inside all the time. Please remember, when you add water inside the inkstone, make sure you use the boiled water not the tap water.
Hello Amazonians! Sean ‘The Tester’ Chao here, with another product for you today! Today we are looking at the Qi Ming Wen Fang brand Chinese Calligraphy Ink Stone.
Functionality: The Qi Ming Wen Fang Ink Stone serves its purpose admirably for enthusiasts and practitioners of Chinese calligraphy. The inclusion of a lid is a thoughtful touch, preserving the ink’s moisture between uses and reducing waste. It’s a practical feature that enhances the overall calligraphy experience, ensuring readiness for practice or artwork at any time.
Durability: Despite its porcelain-like appearance, this ink stone is crafted from a hard plastic material, which contributes to its sturdiness and longevity. It stands up to the rigors of repeated grinding and ink preparation without showing signs of wear, suggesting it will last through many calligraphy sessions.
Aesthetics: The design of this ink stone is truly striking. It carries the elegance and tradition of Chinese calligraphy tools while being a visually appealing object on any desk. The craftsmanship draws attention and serves as a conversation piece, in addition to its functional role.
In conclusion, I highly recommend the Qi Ming Wen Fang Chinese Calligraphy Ink Stone for both calligraphy practitioners and those who appreciate the beauty of traditional art tools. With its excellent functionality, surprising durability given its material, and beautiful aesthetics, this ink stone is a valuable asset for anyone interested in the art of Chinese writing.
