The duan stone comes from the area around the Duanxi River in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province. It has a fine-grained body and smooth surface. They are also prized for the unique natural features such as 'green spots' or 'stone eyes'. The beauty of the duan inkstone is often derived from the successful combination of the decoration and the natural stone markings. For centuries, duan inkstones have been regarded as the finest inkstones of all. This inkstone comes with a covered wooden box. It is decorated with motifs of dragons amid clouds. The 'feicui ban' or its liver-red tinge and green spots on the ink pool suggests that this inkstone may be a product of Songkeng, a quarry located in the northern part of Zhaoqing city at Beilingshan.
