noun
Chinese ink; India ink
Refers to a solid ink stick used in East Asian calligraphy and painting, often imported from China. The reading からすみ is the most common; とうぼく is a rare Sino-Japanese reading.
書道の授業で唐墨をすって使った。
In calligraphy class, we ground a Chinese ink stick and used it.
この唐墨はとても良い香りがする。
This Chinese ink stick has a very nice fragrance.
The kanji 唐 (Tang/China) and 墨 (ink) indicate ink of Chinese origin. The reading からすみ is a Japanese adaptation, while とうぼく is the on'yomi reading. The exact historical derivation of からすみ is uncertain.