SALE! Vintage Set of 4 Hu Kaiwen Beautifully Gilded Calligraphy Ink Sticks with Original Boxes

Vintage Set of Four Caligraphy Ink Sticks in Original Boxes. Three of the sticks are gilded with a beautiful decoration.

Brand: all Hu Kaiwen, Chinese origin.

From https://www.chinadiscovery.com/anhui/huangshan/hu-kaiwen-ink-factory.html

"Located in the city center of Huangshan City, Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory is a time-honored factory to produce traditional Chinese ink sticks."Inksticks (墨), one of China's Four Treasures of the Study of classical literary along with brushes, inkstones and papers, is a great carrier of Chinese traditional culture. As a type of solid ink, Chinese inksticks is the primitive coloring material for calligraphy and brush painting. Grind the inksticks against an inkstone with a small amount of water, and then the liquid ink comes. Calligraphers and artists always increase or reduce the intensity and time of ink grinding to change the thickness of the ink according to their own needs".

"Painting & Decoration – When the inksticks is dried, the workers will gild it with beautiful decorations, like flowers, birds and other auspicious patterns."

These calligraphy sticks were found at an estate sale in the mid 1990s. They are as found--not used.

Condition: Three larger sticks are all still wrapped in plastic, one has broken into three pieces. Smaller stick has a different box color and no inner plastic. Boxes are in great condition.

Size: Tall box is 4.5 inches, smaller is about 3.25 inches long.

These items will ship carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and a sturdy box marked FRAGILE.