Honbeni-sumi (Genuine Red Ink) Kousai (Crimson Color) H8.5cm W1.5cm D1.cm Wooden Box H14.5cm W7cm D1.8cm This was given to me by a calligraphy teacher. It has been used a little. The writing on the back of the wooden box has been painted over. The following is an explanatory document that was stored inside the box: Honbeni-sumi Kousai (Crimson Color) Safflower was used as the highest quality material for lipstick. This red ink is made from safflower cakes, which are made by pressing safflower and drying it in the shade. The safflower was of the highest quality, specifically from what is now Yamagata Prefecture. The "yellow pigment," which is easily soluble in water, is removed from the safflower cake, and the red pigment is extracted and acid is added to create "red." Since the Edo period, it has been said, "Safflower, made in the twelfth month of the old calendar, is the best. Apply it with a brush to porcelain and store it, and use it to adorn women's lips, or dye silk cloth, and the color is very vivid. This is called Kankou (cold red). It is far superior to Enji (rouge)" (Wakansan Saizukai), and Kankou was highly valued. Takemoto Honbeni-sumi "Kousai" is made by carefully kneading this exquisite finest safflower with oil soot, glue, and fragrance (musk). It has good spread for kanji, kana works, sutra copying, letters, certificates, and noshi paper, etc. With thick ink, it has a glossy, jet-black, and elegant ink color, and with light ink, it has a very fine, slightly purplish, transparent, and beautiful ink color. Kuretake Seishodo Co., Ltd. Shodo (Calligraphy) / Shuji (Brush Lettering) Supplies... Ink