Posts Tagged four treasures of the study
Four Treasures of the Study
Posted by sharon in Chinese Arts & Crafts on April 11, 2010
Four Treasures of the Study, also called Four Jewels of the Study, refer to the brush, ink stick, paper and ink stone in Chinese. Each of them is an indispensable tool for Chinese calligraphy and Chinese painting.
In China, the history of brush can date back to 4000-5000 years ago; the ink was firstly used 3000 years ago; the ink stone was invented in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC) and the paper was invented in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 – 220 AD).
It is believed that the development of Chinese traditional culture and art are closely related to the development of the Four Treasures of the Study and to some extent, they were even an important part of the traditional Chinese culture.
Four Treasures of the Study – Writing Brush
Posted by sharon in Chinese Arts & Crafts on January 21, 2010
The writing brush is the traditional Chinese writing implement in calligraphy. The earliest writing brush can date back to the Warring States Period (476BC–221BC).
The nib of the brush is made of the hair of a wide variety of animals, such as goat, wolf, rabbit, deer, chicken, duck, pig, tiger, etc. In order to achieve a balance between steely and feathery lines, the nib will sometimes be made of hair from two different types of animals as different hair has different characteristics.
The handle of the brush is commonly made of bamboo, wood, porcelain, etc. However, there are also some precious ones made of mother-of-pearl inlay, ivory, jade, etc. Always, one will have different types of brushes on hand to adapt to individual purposes and preferences.
Four Treasures of the Study – Ink Stick
Posted by sharon in Chinese Arts & Crafts on November 27, 2009
The ink stick, also known as mo in Chinese, is a type of solid ink used traditionally in China for calligraphy and brush painting.
Legend goes that it was invented by King Yi about 2,800 years ago. However, archaeologists have detected ink marks on the back of inscribed bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, 3,200 years ago.
Most ink sticks are made of soot and animal glue and sometimes with incense or medicinal scents added. Of all the ink sticks, the most famous one is Anhui ink stick, also called hui mo, which is made from the pines that grow on Mount Huang in Anhui Province. It is said that it is as hard as stone and will not deteriorate for as long as then years.
