Wow, the production of traditional artisanal #Sumi ink for Japanese #calligraphy is way more involved than I'd thought: https://youtu.be/GSuFSYY-X9w (or https://youtube.com/shorts/K7cm-8FR_6k if you prefer it in Shorts form...)
From making the fine wicks, to lighting the candles, to collecting the soot, to preparing the animal glue, to kneading all ingredients together, to pressing them into blocks, to pre-drying them with oak ashes, to air-drying them for at least four years, all done by hand.
No wonder these #ink sticks are expensive!

#TodayILearned #TodayILearnt #TIL #Japanese #JapaneseCalligraphy #SumiInk #artisanal #art #artSupplies #InsiderBusiness