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Dragon Scent Chronicles: Ink, Power, and the Throne
- Imperial InksticksPolitical SymbolismCultural Heritage Preservation
- Categories:Chinese Culture Cultural History
- Language:Complex Ch.
- Publication date:September,2025
- Pages:328
- Retail Price:550.00 TWD
- Size:130mm×184mm
- Publication Place:Taiwan,China
- Words:（Unknown）
- Star Ratings:
- Text Color:Full color
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Feature
★ Detailed exploration of imperial and tribute inksticks, offering fresh perspectives on their historical significance.
★ From ingenious tribute tactics (like the “barrel of ginger” symbolizing unification) to imperial inksticks auctioned for 40 million TWD, revealing how ink shaped political stratagems.
★ Authored by a computer science Ph.D. who spent 20 years collecting 2,000 antique inksticks, merging scientific rigor with cultural passion to decode ink’s hidden power.
★ Meticulous design: Japanese paper covers, debossed gilding, and stained edges—transforming the book into a collectible artifact evoking ink’s elegance.
★ From ingenious tribute tactics (like the “barrel of ginger” symbolizing unification) to imperial inksticks auctioned for 40 million TWD, revealing how ink shaped political stratagems.
★ Authored by a computer science Ph.D. who spent 20 years collecting 2,000 antique inksticks, merging scientific rigor with cultural passion to decode ink’s hidden power.
★ Meticulous design: Japanese paper covers, debossed gilding, and stained edges—transforming the book into a collectible artifact evoking ink’s elegance.
Description
Ink is the crystallized soul of millennia-old civilization.
Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty praised: “The more I use ink, the more it proves its worth as the scholar’s loyal aid.”
As early as the Spring and Autumn period, ink was inseparable from daily life. By Emperor Xuanzong’s Tang era, it even aided his ascension to the throne. In recent years, Qing imperial inksticks have fetched astronomical sums at auctions—Kangxi’s “Purple Jade Radiance” sold for over 6 million TWD, while Qianlong’s “Dragon Aroma” approached 40 million. Why would mere inksticks command such reverence?
Imperial inksticks, by definition, were crafted by the Imperial Household Department for royal use: “Imperial-Use Ink” reserved for emperors, “Imperial-Made Ink” for rewarding officials. Yet emperors sourced ink beyond the palace, including regional tributes termed “Tribute Ink.” Every inscription, motif, seal, or pattern on these inksticks reveals imperial psychology and bureaucratic tactics—power politics etched in ink.
Tributes harbored cunning subtext! In the TV drama Liu Luo’guo, during Qianlong’s birthday, courtiers competed with lavish gifts. The favored Heshen presented a jade horse studded with diamonds, nearly clinching victory—until Liu Yong hauled in a barrel of ginger, stealing glory with its homophonic pun “unified realm”. Fact or fiction, this underscores how ingenuity triumphed. Tribute inksticks, as the book demonstrates, followed similar logic.
As Confucius noted: “Even minor arts hold worth observing.” Huang Taiyang, acclaimed author of the Ink Talesseries, returns for Volume 3 to guide readers into ancient royal studies. Trace the emperors’ fingertips over imperial inksticks and savor the elegance of a golden age.
Cover Design Notes
The cover embodies the minimalist aesthetics of Yongzheng-era “Inner Court Craftsmanship.” Eschewing ornate vulgarity, it channels restrained dignity through monochromatic elegance and textured Xuan paper-like material. Poetic yet modern, it evokes the royal study’s refined ambiance.
Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty praised: “The more I use ink, the more it proves its worth as the scholar’s loyal aid.”
As early as the Spring and Autumn period, ink was inseparable from daily life. By Emperor Xuanzong’s Tang era, it even aided his ascension to the throne. In recent years, Qing imperial inksticks have fetched astronomical sums at auctions—Kangxi’s “Purple Jade Radiance” sold for over 6 million TWD, while Qianlong’s “Dragon Aroma” approached 40 million. Why would mere inksticks command such reverence?
Imperial inksticks, by definition, were crafted by the Imperial Household Department for royal use: “Imperial-Use Ink” reserved for emperors, “Imperial-Made Ink” for rewarding officials. Yet emperors sourced ink beyond the palace, including regional tributes termed “Tribute Ink.” Every inscription, motif, seal, or pattern on these inksticks reveals imperial psychology and bureaucratic tactics—power politics etched in ink.
Tributes harbored cunning subtext! In the TV drama Liu Luo’guo, during Qianlong’s birthday, courtiers competed with lavish gifts. The favored Heshen presented a jade horse studded with diamonds, nearly clinching victory—until Liu Yong hauled in a barrel of ginger, stealing glory with its homophonic pun “unified realm”. Fact or fiction, this underscores how ingenuity triumphed. Tribute inksticks, as the book demonstrates, followed similar logic.
As Confucius noted: “Even minor arts hold worth observing.” Huang Taiyang, acclaimed author of the Ink Talesseries, returns for Volume 3 to guide readers into ancient royal studies. Trace the emperors’ fingertips over imperial inksticks and savor the elegance of a golden age.
Cover Design Notes
The cover embodies the minimalist aesthetics of Yongzheng-era “Inner Court Craftsmanship.” Eschewing ornate vulgarity, it channels restrained dignity through monochromatic elegance and textured Xuan paper-like material. Poetic yet modern, it evokes the royal study’s refined ambiance.
Author
Huang Taiyang
Huang Taiyang graduated in Electronic Physics from National Chiao Tung University and holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Syracuse University. As a visiting scholar at Télécom Paris, he advanced Taiwan’s IT industry and Nangang Software Park development.
A technologist turned ink savant, he stumbled into the world of ink like “a country woman stepping into the Grand View Garden,” awestruck by its wonders. Applying scientific methods—categorizing, linking, analyzing—he reshaped his understanding of ink. For over two decades, he scoured markets and auctions, amassing 2,000+ antique inksticks and penning 100+ essays. His mission: rekindling appreciation for this endangered cultural legacy.
Author of the Ink Talesseries: Biographies of Ink Mastersand Ink Dynasties: Whispers of Antique Inksticks. Shares his passion at: Huang Taiyang Ink Scholar
Huang Taiyang graduated in Electronic Physics from National Chiao Tung University and holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Syracuse University. As a visiting scholar at Télécom Paris, he advanced Taiwan’s IT industry and Nangang Software Park development.
A technologist turned ink savant, he stumbled into the world of ink like “a country woman stepping into the Grand View Garden,” awestruck by its wonders. Applying scientific methods—categorizing, linking, analyzing—he reshaped his understanding of ink. For over two decades, he scoured markets and auctions, amassing 2,000+ antique inksticks and penning 100+ essays. His mission: rekindling appreciation for this endangered cultural legacy.
Author of the Ink Talesseries: Biographies of Ink Mastersand Ink Dynasties: Whispers of Antique Inksticks. Shares his passion at: Huang Taiyang Ink Scholar
Contents
Prologue: Ink Proves Its Worth as the Scholar’s Aid
Chapter 1: Imperial Inksticks on the Emperor’s Desk
1-1. Xuande Ink’s Frosty Fame / 1-2. New Clouds After Taiyue’s Fall / 1-3. Imperial-Use vs. Imperial-Made / 1-4. The Tenfold Achiever’s Feat / 1-5. Faded Glory of Ink’s Luster
Chapter 2: Subtle Art of Tribute Ink
2-1. First Named Tribute / 2-2. Omens of Universal Peace / 2-3. Longevity Multiplied / 2-4. Celestial Lights Illuminating the Realm / 2-5. Eternal Spring and Joy / 2-6. Unification Through Writing / 2-7. Refined Taste Beyond the Mundane / 2-8. Sovereign and Servant in Harmony
(Chapters 3–11 follow the same pattern as provided in Chinese)
Final Chapter: Unraveling Eccentric Ministerial Inscriptions
11-1. Liu Yuan’s “Unprecedented” / 11-2. Zhang Ying’s “Fish Among Lotus” / 11-3. “Poetry-Bestowing Hall” & “Virtuous Hall” / 11-4. Li Chenglong’s “Respectfully Presented” / 11-5. Suhe’na’s “Supervised Production” / 11-6. Xiaohuashanren’s “Clouds Caressing Stone” / 11-7. Truth Inscribed in Ink
Chapter 1: Imperial Inksticks on the Emperor’s Desk
1-1. Xuande Ink’s Frosty Fame / 1-2. New Clouds After Taiyue’s Fall / 1-3. Imperial-Use vs. Imperial-Made / 1-4. The Tenfold Achiever’s Feat / 1-5. Faded Glory of Ink’s Luster
Chapter 2: Subtle Art of Tribute Ink
2-1. First Named Tribute / 2-2. Omens of Universal Peace / 2-3. Longevity Multiplied / 2-4. Celestial Lights Illuminating the Realm / 2-5. Eternal Spring and Joy / 2-6. Unification Through Writing / 2-7. Refined Taste Beyond the Mundane / 2-8. Sovereign and Servant in Harmony
(Chapters 3–11 follow the same pattern as provided in Chinese)
Final Chapter: Unraveling Eccentric Ministerial Inscriptions
11-1. Liu Yuan’s “Unprecedented” / 11-2. Zhang Ying’s “Fish Among Lotus” / 11-3. “Poetry-Bestowing Hall” & “Virtuous Hall” / 11-4. Li Chenglong’s “Respectfully Presented” / 11-5. Suhe’na’s “Supervised Production” / 11-6. Xiaohuashanren’s “Clouds Caressing Stone” / 11-7. Truth Inscribed in Ink
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