During the Ming Dynasty, renowned for its ceramics, Liulichang was a factory producing glazed tiles for the most prestigious buildings and temples of the time. Today nestled in downtown Beijing, Liulichang is an arts, crafts and cultural quarter. Designed to take you back in time to an old, if idealized, version of a Chinese village, the street is a haven for traditional cultural knick-knacks and tools for modern artists and dabblers in traditional mediums.
Nestled in this showcase for the classic and the old is a large store filled with the finest of writing brushes. Daiyuexuan, the famous brush makers, are over a hundred years old. Founded in 1916 by Dai Yuexuan, the establishment has been recognized as one of China’s most valuable and traditional brands and has been the choice of Chinese leaders and artists through the 20th century.
As pens and modern instruments become the defacto choice for regular writing its ubiquity has been on the decline, but the traditional ink brush continues to be a staple among calligraphers, and Huzhou style brushes made by Daiyuexuan continue to be a beacon in the world of quality writing brushes. Dai Yuexuan hailed from the Zhejiang Province. There, in Huzhou city, he picked up his trade, as thousands have over a long history of brush making in the region, and he built his workshop around it.
What are the Four Treasures of Study?
In Huzhou, and Shanlian, a small town in the area, fine ink brushes have been made for 2000 years. Between the mulberry groves and the ancient streams that dot the landscape, writing brush manufacture has been a major part of the local economy and remains a big presence even today. In the old days, so renowned were the fine qualities of the Huzhou Brush that it found its way into the traditional Four Treasures of Study: A writing brush, fine paper, an ink stick and a ink stone, each from their own special town and region known for their long tradition of producing the best versions of them.
These Four treasures or jewels continue to be an important tradition in China and across the Far eastern cultures which were influenced by them. Some brush manufacture has now been mechanized, but that is for mass produced middle-grade brushes. The finest writing instruments in the Huzhou style are still handmade.
Popularity of Calligraphy Ink Brushes from China
Long apprenticed craftspeople sort through millions of goat, rabbit and weasel hairs, choose only the best specimens, wash, sort and comb them based on softness. A traditional writing brush goes through some 70 steps and operations in its manufacture, all done by human hands and all based on long trained feel and instinct rather than mechanical precision.
The history of writing instruments, and brushes specifically, will have similar deep traditions around the world. When you pick up a brush to write or paint with, and you absent-mindedly run your fingers through the fine hairs, think of the toil and the history behind this simple tool. At one point this instrument was as enchanted and rare as a magic wand. Let that spell show through in every careful stroke you draw.
Read other interesting stories of stationery and its origin on the links below,
- Is this the most underrated piece of Muji stationery and should you add it to your Muji haul? Watch here – https://inkymemo.com/muji-origami-paper-test/
- We enjoyed ourselves testing different types of scissors from Scotch Precision Ultraedge craft scissors to Amazon Solimo kitchen shears, from old tailoring scissors to patterned zig-zag scissors for scrapbooking. Watch the results here – https://inkymemo.com/best-scissors-for-cutting-paper-test/
