Material: Stone

Date: Lê Dynasty

Dimensions:

Height: 58

Width: 33

Length: 43

Four inkstones in the artistic style of the Lê dynasty were once kept in the Thái Học House. The inkstone is one of the four precious objects of school supplies. It was used for grinding ink and holding ink for writing.

The inkstone has a rectangular box-like shape with raised edges on the surface divided into three compartments, with two empty compartments and one compartment featuring a raised carving of a carp transforming into a dragon. The body of the inkstone is divided into three parts: the forehead section creates the empty compartments with rounded edges on the front and back, engraved with the four Chinese characters "Thái học đường nghiên" (meaning: Inkstone of the Thái Học house); the neck section creates a gap with a raised edge in the middle; the base sinks inward, with only the raised edges and decorative cloud patterns on the upper corners, while the base itself is plain.

The inkstone is an essential tool for Confucian scholars in general and specifically for the teachers and students of the Quốc Tử Giám. The inkstone placed in the old Thái Học house had witnessed numerous changes within the first university and the historical period.