Yang Xi
Although no autograph copies of Yang Xi's famous calligraphy have survived, one well-documented stone rubbing version of the revealed "Huangting jing" (黃庭經, Yellow Court Scripture) has been given special attention. The Song dynasty connoisseur and critic Mi Fu (1051-1107) analyzed four manuscripts of the "Huangting jing", and said the best one was written on a silk scroll with a provenance that he traced back to the early 8th century. Mi disagreed with a former owner Tao Gu (陶穀, 903-970) who said that Wang Xizhi wrote the manuscript, and concluded it was a superb example of calligraphy from the Six Dynasties period. The Ming dynasty calligrapher and painter Dong Qichang (1555-1636) was so impressed by the Mi Fu manuscript that he made a copy, recommend it as the best model for studying "kaishu" script, and included it as the first example in his classic "Xihong tang fatie" (戲鴻堂法帖, Calligraphy Compendium of the Hall of the Playful Goose). Dong's colophon attributed the calligraphy to Yang Xi himself and described it as "the traces of a holy immortal" (Ledderose 1984: 262-263, who calls Dong's attribution to Yang "extremely optimistic").
Suzuri-bako
The first "suzuri-bako" were developed in 9th century Japan. At the time, calligraphy was an integral part of Japanese society. In order for a writer to produce a high-quality calligraphy script, a set of precise tools was needed. The most important of these tools was the inkstone, which was required to hold and transfer ink onto a writer's brush. Ink sticks, water droppers, and a small knife were also part of a calligrapher's set. Suzuri-bako were designed to ensure that the various tools a calligrapher needed were properly organized and protected. Due to the insoluble nature of resin-based lacquer, the contents of the writing box were relatively safe from moisture. Inside of the square or rectangular boxes rested a number of different trays and holders, the layout of which differed from period to period. Early boxes were large enough to accommodate both the writer's implements and papers, while later boxes only housed tools. A second type of box, the "ryōshibako", were used in later periods to house completed papers.