A pen that combs all kinds of hair into a cone is inserted at one end of a bamboo tube or a wooden tube for writing and drawing. It is one of the traditional Four Treasures of the Study in China.

develop

The origin of brushes can be traced back to the Neolithic Age. 1980 An ancient tomb dating back more than 5,000 years was excavated in Jiangzhai Village, Lintong, Shaanxi Province. Unearthed cultural relics include concave inkstones, pestles, dyes and pottery cups. From the decorative patterns of painted pottery, we can identify the traces depicted by the brush, which proves that there was a brush or a pen similar to a brush five or six thousand years ago. Pictographs of pens appeared in Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty, which looked like holding a pen in hand. A bamboo brush was unearthed in Zuojiagongshan, Changsha, Hunan Province and Changtaiguan, Xinyang, Henan Province, respectively, which was the earliest brush found. The pen unearthed in Changsha, Hunan Province, has a bamboo pole of 0.4cm and a length of 18.5cm, and the nib is rabbit arrow hair and is 2.5cm long. The nib is clamped on the split bamboo pole head, wrapped with silk thread and coated with a layer of raw lacquer. Judging from the manufacturing technology of brush and the distribution area of unearthed cultural relics, brush was widely used during the Warring States Period. There is no unified name. Xu Shen in the Eastern Han Dynasty recorded in Shuowen Jiezi that "Chu refers to Yu, Wu refers to irregularity, Yan refers to strokes" and "Qin refers to pens, from Yu to Zhu". There is a legend that Meng Tian made pens in the Qin Dynasty. The dream stone chooses rabbit hair and bamboo to control the pen The method of making a pen is to hollow out one end of the pen holder into a hair cavity, and the hair of the pen tip is stuffed in the cavity. There is also a protective bamboo sleeve on the brush, and both sides of the bamboo sleeve are hollowed out to facilitate holding the pen. After Montessori made pens, they were collectively called pens. The writing brush entered a new development stage in the Han Dynasty. First, it pioneered the decorative technology of lettering and inlaying on the pen holder. For example, the writing brushes engraved with "White Horse" and "Stone" were unearthed in two tombs of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Second, there have been works devoted to the production of brush, such as Fu Bi by Cai Yong in the Eastern Han Dynasty, which is the first monograph devoted to the selection, production and function of brush in the history of Chinese writing, ending the history of no written comments before the Han Dynasty; Third, there is a special form of "white pen". In order to play with things conveniently, officials in the Han Dynasty often sharpened the tail of the brush and put it in their hair or hat for later use. Sacrificers often put a pen on their heads to show their respect. On the left side of the tomb owner's head, a white horse writing brush was unearthed. During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, a number of pen makers such as Feng Yingke, Lu Wenbao and Tianxi Zhang emerged in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province. And goat hair was popular in the world at that time and was called "Hu Bi". Huzhou has been the center of brush making in China since the Qing Dynasty. At the same time, many famous brand brushes have appeared in other places, among which Shanghai Li Dinghe Brush and Anhui Lu 'an Yipin Zhai Brush all won prizes at the international fair.

classify

Brushes can be divided into three categories: wool, wolf hair and double-sided brushes. Sheep hair is made of goat hair, which is soft in texture, also known as soft hair; Wolf hair is made of weasel tail hair, which is full of vigor and elasticity, also known as bristles; Double-stranded brush is a kind of pen that combines hardness with softness. Brush is divided into brush and paint brush according to its use. The size of the brush tip is mostly within 1 inch, which is divided into three types: large, medium and small. It is mostly used for writing, but also for meticulous and small freehand brushwork. Calligraphy and painting brush was formed in modern times. 1925, in order to make the brush more suitable for painters and calligraphers, Li Fushou made a brush suitable for calligraphy and painting. Most of these pens are made of double-stranded brush, and the pen tip is very long. Thick and full, combining rigidity with softness, absorbing a lot of ink, which is conducive to the painter's creation in one go.

manufacturing process

Wool, ferret tail hair, mountain rabbit hair, badger hair and civet cat hair are the main raw materials for making pen tips, and pig brown, ponytail, oxtail, chicken feather, moustache and fetal hair are also widely used. Brush poles are mostly made of bamboo tubes, such as green bamboo (roasted red), purple bamboo, spotted bamboo (torreya grandis) and arhat bamboo, and some are made of mahogany, horn, aggregate, ivory and jade, which are more luxurious. The production of all kinds of brushes must go through the processes of material selection, degreasing, batching, hair trimming, charging, curling, finishing, binding, assembly, dry repair, front sticking, lettering and rope hanging. To sum up, it is commonly known as "water basin" (the operation process in the water basin) and "work" (the waterless process such as head fitting and dry repair). Water basin technology is the key to determine the use and quality of writing brush, which requires sharp, neat, round and healthy pen tip (known as four virtues in history). Sharp means that the pen tip should be as sharp as a cone, which is conducive to hooking; After the front hair of the pen is spread out, the front hair is flush, which is beneficial to uniform ink jet; Circle refers to a round and full cylinder with a written head, which is evenly covered with hair, and the writing is smooth and not forked; The tip of the sword finger is flexible and changeable in writing and painting, which can show the pen power. The decoration of the brush is the later stage of the work. Including pen lettering, carving, relief, lacquer painting, inlaying, wire pinching, pen-tip bowl, tail end, hanging rope, etc. , reflecting the richness and elegance of the brush, and some accessories have also played a role in strengthening the brushwork.

Use and storage

After the brush is used up, the remaining ink should be washed immediately to avoid sticking to the pen tip and hung on the pen to maintain the elasticity of the pen tip. In case of sticking ink or using a new pen, it can be soaked in warm water, and tearing or soaking in boiling water is not allowed to avoid breaking the front and turning around. New pens should be packed in cartons or wooden cases, and some mothballs should be put to prevent insects from eating them. Dry regularly to prevent mildew.