Scholar's inkscreen

The Scholar's Pursuit
Only scholars who passed the difficult and lengthy civil service examinations were eligible for positions at court. Aspiring scholars who failed to pass the exams experienced devastation and disappointment from their families. Numerous documented stories recount students who committed suicide rather than live with the humiliation of such failure.

Some of the prestigious tasks of the scholar included studying Confucian classics, writing poetry, playing music, practicing calligraphy, and painting. The ideal scholar is always depicted as forthright, dedicated to knowledge, and the pursuit of scholarship. One example is Zhu Yin, who was so poor that he could not afford to buy candles for his nightly studies. He made a night-light by gathering glowworms and placing them in a bag that he hung on a post. Another story describes the young man Sun Kang, who was also too poor to afford candles to use in the evenings. When the moon cast its bright light, the dedicated scholar piled snow against his window so that the moonlight reflected against the white snow, providing him with enough light to read.

This ink screen, designed to prevent splattering while grinding ink, is also a brush holder. Images of Kuixing, the God of Literature, decorate both sides of this ink screen made for a scholar's table. Kuixing is shown as an emaciated demon-like figure holding a writing brush (bi ?) and an ingot (ding) and kicking backward with one leg. The combination of brush and ingot is a rebus for "You will succeed in your exams" (biding gaozhong ).

HIDDEN MEANING: May the God of Literature grant you literary success!