SONG DYNASTY (AD 960-1279)

An inkstone with four straight sides (sizhiyang) is illustrated by S. Kwan in Chinese Inkstones, Hong Kong, 2005, pp. 146-147, no. 34, where the author explains the other term commonly used to describe this form of inkstone is chaoshou, which may be a shortened phrase of chaoxie zhi shou or “copyist’s stone.” (pp. 50-61)