3oz bottle of Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng fountain pen ink. This ink is Noodler's attempt to replicate the color, depth, behavior, properties, and general characteristics of the first royal ink of ancient China. This is the STRONGEST of all vintage emperor/royal inks. Noodler's inks are handcrafted, so there may be slight color variations from batch to batch.

How does one find the color of the Emperor's ink - a color known to be the original royal color, a tinge of purple with deep blue hues, the color that later was also called "royal" in France (as well as Rome)? Though clothing for the Emperor stressed royal Mandarin Yellow and the French court stressed blue/white and purple, the original royal ink was indeed this ink color. The precious remnants of the original ink stones were just enough physical and documented information for the color and the characteristics of the inks, so that Noodler's Ink could offer a sample of the Emperor's Ink - as close a replica to that royal ink as ever offered.

The ink is specifically designed for fountain pen use, but is also used by artists, calligraphers and other craftspeople. It does require a more rigorous cleaning and maintenance regime or it may have a tendency to clog.

A note on the label art and ink name from Noodler's Ink:

The ink used by the Emperor of China during the age whereby Confucius was most recognized for his greatness intrigued the ink maker of Noodler's Ink. The quotes: "The weakest ink is mightier than the strongest memory." and "The four precious necessities - pen, ink, paper, and ink stone" were also fascinating as they are attributed to Confucius.

What ink remnants and/or colors were on the ink stones of the Emperors of China? The preference was for a blue purple - a prime based purple as opposed to the more western violet/magenta and red/blue non-prime mixtures. The information has been limited and all the more so due to the distance of time and the difficulty in getting museums and collectors to cooperate in this quest. As a manner of extending gratitude and thanks for the assistance Noodler's Ink has received, the ink is named in honor of the 77th lineal descendent of Confucius, Mr. Kung Te-cheng.