Cao Su Gong Ink Store(曹素功墨苑) is located in No. 422 Jinling East Road, Shanghai. Cao Sugong Ink Store was founded in the six years of Qing Emperor Kangxi (1667). It is a pen and ink store which is subordinated to Shanghai Zhou Huchen and Cao Su Gong Ltd. The ink product sold in this shop famous in Shanghai. It is an important part of Shanghai culture.
Cao Sugong was good at making inks and doing business. As a result, his ink store became famous in china. And he was once awarded “Zi Yu Guang” written by Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty. In the third year of Qing Emperor Tongzhi(1864), the descendants of Cao Sugong moved to Shanghai and continued their business of making and selling inks.
In 3 years of the Republic of China (1914), Cao Su Gong Ink won gold medal at the Tokyo Fair.
In 1949, Shanghai liberation lead to the expanded production scale of Cao Su Gong Ink Store. In 1956, the private stationery sector carried out industry-wide public-private partnerships, such as Hu Kaiwen Canton's three ink stores and "Cao Su Gong" merge. "Cao Su Gong" learn widely from others' strong points, so Cao ink has excellent quality. And its sales became smoother, 80% of its products are exported to Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, which enjoyed a high reputation and was selected as the national gift.
In 1962, Cao Su Gong Ink obtained a certificate at the Philadelphia Exposition. In 1972, Sino-Japanese relations were back to normal and Cao ink annual export reached 11,200 kilograms, an increase of 40 percent over 1971.
In 1978, Cao Su Gong expanded its capabilities, innovated production, implemented scientific detection methods, further improved product quality. In 1980, senior 101 calligraphy ink fumes won national silver medal. In 1985, Cao Su Gong won the Shanghai quality products export certificate and then hold "Cao Su Gong Chinese Ink Exhibition" in Tokyo, Japan and other five cities, renowned in Japan. In 1989, Cao Su Gong won the national gold medal. By 1990s, a series of old ink and crusted ink handed down from Ming and Qing dynasties caused concern in collectibles market.
Trista

