Lin Tao

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Lin Tao, Male, Han, from Xinjiang, Shanxi, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Inkstone Making Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-133). The tradition is documented in Xinjiang, Shanxi. Within the regional tradition and school record of Inkstone Making Craftsmanship in Xinjiang, Shanxi: Its making can be traced back to the Western Han period, reaching its heyday in the Tang and Song dynasties and further developing in the Ming dynasty.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Lin Tao is anchored in the documented technical standards of Inkstone Making Craftsmanship in Xinjiang, Shanxi. Within the documented technical tradition of Inkstone Making Craftsmanship in Xinjiang, Shanxi: The Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone is produced in Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province, and is the only ceramic inkstone among China's famous inkstones. Across successive dynasties, the Chengni inkstone was honored as a tribute item. The Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone making technique takes advantage of the unique natural conditions of the Fen River bay, selecting sedimentary silt that is processed through dozens of steps—filtering, shaping, carving, and firing—to yield a finished product after more than a year. The characteristics of the Chengni inkstone are a hard, lustrous, and moist body; breathing on it produces moisture, and touching it feels like a child's skin. Its textures are varied and its coloring is plain and elegant. In use it is crystalline and fine, does not damage the brush hairs, holds water without drying up, and does not freeze in severe cold; it produces ink extremely fast and the ink shows a glowing luster. The Chengni inkstone can be divided by color into several varieties, among which 'eel yellow' (shanyu huang), 'mung-bean sand' (lvdou sha), 'rose purple' (meigui zi), and 'cinnabar red' (zhusha hong) are rare, superior pieces deeply loved by emperors and literati of past ages. For historical reasons, the Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone making technique had essentially been lost by the late Ming and early Qing periods. At present, the newly revived Chengni inkstone making technique is still in a developing phase and urgently needs government support and assistance. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Process Records": The Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone making technique takes advantage of the unique natural conditions of the Fen River bay, selecting sedimentary silt that is processed through dozens of steps—filtering, shaping, carving, and firing—to yield a finished product after more than a year.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Lin Tao was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Inkstone Making Craftsmanship, with Xinjiang, Shanxi as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Inkstone Making Craftsmanship in Xinjiang, Shanxi: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Xinjiang, Shanxi as its declared area, and Xinjiang County Jiang ZhouChengNiYan Research Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Lintao (Xinjiang, Shanxi) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Lintao · China ICH Official Archive