1541-1616
Ink Tablet Designer

Ink Tablets. Cheng Dayue was the youngest of three sons of a prosperous merchant in a village south of Nanjing. In 1564 he attempted to enter the National University in Beijing, but he failed to pass the provincial examination. He soon became interested in nature and geography. He also engaged in the making of ink tablets and purchased a large collection of nature scenes, many of which had been made by master craftsmen of earlier times. In the meantime, Cheng Dayue also began an ink-manufacturing enterprise.

Ink Sticks. In 1592 he obtained a position as an usher in the Court of State Ceremonial. He left that petty official position the next year and returned home, where he was accused of murder and sent to prison. Appealing the conviction, Cheng Dayue was ultimately acquitted and released in 1600. He then became involved in producing ink sticks...