EUMSEONG, North Chungcheong Province - Any great calligraphy or painting begins with grinding a “meok” or inkstick against an inkstone with
Preserving tradition has been the most challenging for him because there are few historical references for further developing skills. The master had to sift through many historical documents to find records related to inksticks. Unlike for brushes and papers, such references are hard to find.
Owing to the lack of historical references, Han went to China and Japan to study making their style of inksticks, as these countries have cultural and historical similarities with Korea.
According to Han, in ancient times, inkstick artisans were treated as the lowest class of people, like butchers or "baekjeong" and traveling entertainers or "namsadangpae." He explained that they worked like slaves because meok making required one's undivided attention.
"Inkstick makers' hands, faces and clothes were always stained with ink, which was hard to wash off. Inkstick owners were rich, but inkstick makers led miserable lives. Although they possessed excellent skills, they did not create any record about them," he said.
The artisan complained that even today, the perception of meok makers remains low. "In Korea, many scholars and government officials tend to rely on their judgments rather than accepting different opinions and theories of artisans," he said.
