The Southern Dynasties were established after the governor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty sailed to the Yangtze river area. The Han Chinese continued to rule in the Song, Qi, Liang and Chen Dynasties and therefore the Chinese culture was preserved. For example, inkstones used in Chinese calligraphy were kept well. On the other hand, the Northern Dynasties were established by the northern pastoral nomads who did not treasure Chinese culture. The translucent yellowish-green glaze of the inkstone is prone to flake off, but that is the characteristic of the dynasties. The unglazed and slightly convex grinding surface is another feature of the dynasties. The inkstone has five legs, which are wider and shorter than that of the Jin Dynasty inkstone.