Ink brush
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Ink brushes (Traditional Chinese: 毛筆; Simplified Chinese: 毛笔; pinyin: máo bǐ, in Japanese fude) are used in Chinese calligraphy. They are also used in Chinese painting and descendant brush painting styles (such as sumi-e).
Brushes differ greatly in terms of size, texture, material and cost.
- Size: Generally classified as either big (大楷), medium (中楷) or small (小楷), most calligraphy is written with a medium-sized brush. The smallest brushes are used for very small pieces and to sign works. Medium brushes are the most widely used; wielded by a skilled artist a medium brush can produce a variety of thicknesses of line, from very thin to fairly thick. The largest brushes are used only for very large pieces.
- Texture: Either soft (軟毫), hard (硬毫) or mixed (兼毫). Certain textures are better for writing certain styles than others are.
- Material: Normally the brush is made from sheep, pig, mouse, buffalo and rabbit hair, while exotic ones can be made from tiger, fowls, deer, yellow weasel (黄鼠狼) and even human baby hair (from the first haircut a baby gets, said to bring good fortune while taking the Imperial examinations).
- Stalk material: Usually normal bamboo, exotic brushes instead may use materials like gold, silver, jade, ivory, red sandalwood or mottled bamboo.
The material one chooses to use depends on one's needs at the moment, certain kinds of brushes are more suited to certain script styles and individuals than others are. Synthetic hair is not used. Prices vary greatly depending on the quality of the brush, cheap brushes cost less than a US dollar while expensive can cost more than a thousand. Currently, the finest brushes are made in Huzhou in Zhejiang.
Together with the ink stone, ink(stick) and paper, the four writing implements form the Four Treasures of the Study.
[edit] History
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The earliest intact ink brush was found in 1954, in the tomb of a Chu citizen during the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BCE), located in an archaeological dig site Zuo Gong Shan 15 near Changsha. This primitive version of an ink brush had a wooden stalk, and a bamboo tube secures the bundle of hair to the stalk. Legend credits the invention of the ink brush to Qin general Meng Tian. The invention of ink brush resulted in the Lesser Seal Script (Xiaozhuan), which is elegant and curvy unlike its predecessor the Greater Seal Script (Dazhuan) which is rugged and blocky.
