What is Shoen (Sumi made from pine-soot) for?

What is Shoen (Sumi made from pine-soot) for?

🟠 What is Shoen (pine soot ink)?

Sumi ink produced by burning pine branches or bark to collect soot, which is then mixed with Nikawa (animal glue) and fragrances, is referred to as Shoen.

🟠 What is Shoen for?

Shoen, or pine soot ink, is used for suibokuga paintings and Shodo (calligraphy). This type of ink is highly valued for its deep, rich black color and its ability to create subtle gradations in tone. Artists use Shoen sumi ink with brushes on WASHI paper or silk to create various artistic expressions, ranging from detailed brushwork to expressive, bold strokes. The ink is appreciated not only for its visual qualities but also for the cultural and historical significance associated with traditional ink-based art forms in Japan.

🟠 The beauty/characteristic of Shoen sumi ink.

NIJIMI:  One of the significances of Shoen sumi ink lies in the fascinating quality of 'nijimi,' which adds depth, three-dimensionality, and movement, expanding the range of expression. Shoen sumi ink, with its scattered particles, excels in expressing 'nijimi' compared to Yuen (oil soot ink), which has fine and uniform particles. While beginners might find controlling the diffusion of 'nijimi' challenging, the journey to discover your expression is truly a fun part. Be creative in selecting washi paper and experiment with it!

Beautiful Sumi Color:  Shoen (pine soot sumi ink) is characterized by a serene and matte black color. The secret lies in its materials and production process. The raw materials for pine soot sumi ink include pine soot (created by burning pine), Nikawa (animal glue), and fragrances. The pine branches are burned in a room with a furnace, and the resulting pine soot particles that adhere to the ceiling and walls vary in size. Finer particles tend to be in the red spectrum, while larger ones shift towards the blue spectrum. The bluish tone in pine soot ink is a result of this particle size variation. Additionally, the light ink of Shoen sumi ink imparts a sense of transparency.

🟠 How the sumi ink is produced

The Kii Kumano region is characterized by deep mountains with lush, old pine trees, making it an ideal location for pine soot production. Consequently, it has long been a significant supplier of pine soot to Nara, a primary production area for sumi ink. Despite the extensive history of the soot known as 'Shoen,' the sole producer currently conducting pine soot collection in Japan is Mr. Horiike. He manages the workshop Kishu Shoen in the mountains of Wakayama. Pine soot has become scarce and precious.

In the traditional 'Shojidaki method,' the raw material for pine soot is red pine, but not just any condition of pine is suitable. It requires the precise selection of pine wood where the pine resin has condensed. In this method, carefully selected pine wood is split into small pieces, and each piece is slowly burned in a 2-mats room for 100 hours to ensure a continuous flame. Mr. Horiike collects the soot by sweeping it off the room, a task that literally leaves him covered in soot from head to toe. Originally, the soot was collected on shoji paper surrounding the room and ceiling, but now, for fire prevention, a fire-resistant cloth is used on top of a metal mesh.

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