Makers › Master Craftsmen
Cao Sugong
Early Qing ink maker from Shexian who took over Wu Shuda's ink shop in 1667, renamed it Yisu Studio and founded an ink business that still trades under his name
A craft workshop centres on a potter's wheel holding a tall celadon vase, amid racks of red lacquer boxes, an embroidery frame with a floral design, shelves of celadon ware, carved wooden panels and stacked logs, while one craftsman works at a table and another stands at a glowing kiln.
Also known as Born Cao Shengchen · Original name Ruchang · Hao Jin'an
Cao Sugong, born Cao Shengchen, came from Shexian in Anhui. In 1667 he took over the Xuansu Studio of the Ming ink maker Wu Shuda, renamed it Yisu Studio and sold ink under the name Cao Sugong; he is counted among the four great ink makers of the Qing. His descendants carried on the business, moving it to Shanghai in the Tongzhi reign, and it survives today. His Ziyuguang ink was made from top-grade soot and decorated with dragons among clouds; the Palace Museum holds two such sticks dated 1685.
Life and times
Dates 1615 CE–1689 CE