Content

1.Introduction 2

2. Papers 3 2.1 Selecting Paper 3 2.1.1 Shuan Paper 4 2.1.2 Mien Paper 4 2.1.3 Mao Bien Paper 4

3. Brush 5 3.1 Correct Way of Holding a Calligraphy Brush 6 3.2 Basic Chinese Calligraphy Brush Theories 6 3.3 Basic Brush techniques for Chinese Calligraphy 7

4. Ink Stick 8 4.1 Production 8

5. Ink Stones 9 5.1 Four Famous Ink Stone 9 5.1.1 Duan Ink Stones 9 5.1.2 She Ink Stones 10 5.1.3 Tao(he) Ink Stones 10 5.1.4 Chengl Ink Stones 10

6. Modernisation 11

7. Conclusion 12

8. Reference 13

1. Introduction

The four treasures of a Chinese scholar’s studio (wen fang si bao) is an expression used to refer to paper, brush, ink stick, and ink stone which are used in Chinese calligraphy and painting. The name stems from the time of the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589 AD). Brushes and ink are two of the legendary “Four Treasures of the Study” tools of Chinese calligraphers, painters and poets over thousands of years. The other vital elements of culture are the rice paper (zhi), and the ink stone (yan) for grinding the solidified ink sticks.

The purpose of knowing the four treasures of a Chinese scholar’s studio is to let readers to know more about the history and destiny of Chinese culture.

2. Paper

Paper is one of the most famous Chinese inventions. It is usually made from parts of the rice plant, like rice straw or ice flour. Chinese practice painting on Xuan Paper that is renowned for being soft and fine textured, suitable for conveying the artistic expression of both Chinese calligraphy and painting. The paper in the old days is very think and light. Thus it can absorb ink easily. A Chinese named Cai Lun invented paper around 105 AD. Slowly, paper supplanted traditional bamboo slips and silk. Seven hundred years later, papermaking technology was absorbed by Islamic countries. It is widely accepted that paper was invented by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han. However the archaeologists have discovered paper of Western Han such as “Fang-ma-tan” paper, “Ba-quao” paper, “Xuan-quan” paper, “Ma-quan-wan” paper, “Ju-yan” paper and “Han-tan-po” paper.

After the Eastern Jin Dynasty, paper was extensively used instead of traditional writing materials. Various methods of producing paper emerged one after another. In the Tang and Song Dynasties the paper producing industry was very thriving. Celebrated products in best quality appeared one after another. In the Qing “Xuan-zhi” produced in Jing Prefecture of Anhui (Xuanzhou), became the special paper for painting and calligraphy, and was regarded as “the king of the paper”.

2.1 Selecting Paper for Chinese Calligraphy

Chinese use special kinds of paper for doing calligraphy and painting. It is because of the characteristics of the brush and ink, only Shuan Paper, Mien Paper, and Mao Bien Paper are suitable for Chinese calligraphy and painting. Paper for drawing, printing, and watercolour will not be perfectly compatible with Chinese ink.

2.1.1 Shuan Paper (mistakenly called Rice Paper in the West)

The best paper for Chinese calligraphy is Xuan Paper or Shuan Paper. It is commonly called Rice Paper in English-speaking countries. They are not made of rice at all. It is somewhat expensive for beginners to practice on Shuan Paper. Shuan Paper is suitable for ink absorbency and brush motion in various speeds, its high quality feature makes it the perfect choice for quality Chinese calligraphy and painting.

2.1.2 Mien Paper (“Cotton Paper” is a Chinese term used for the paper)

Mien Paper is very popular for practicing Chinese painting and calligraphy. It is cheaper than Shuan Paper. However, its quality is somewhat inferior. Many brands of paper in sheets and especially rolls sold in American art stores for oriental calligraphy and painting are actually Mien Paper, not Shuan Paper or the so-called “rice paper”.

2.1.3 Mao Bien Paper (Bamboo Paper)

Mao Bien Paper is cheaper than Mien Paper. Most beginners start practicing calligraphy with Mao Bien Paper with printed grids for positioning of the strokes. Mao Bien Paper is a low cost substitute for most people to practice. Most Mao Bien Paper is categorized into two types, which are the Nine-Palace Grids and the Rice-Character Gris. Each type helps the beginners to position the strokes more correctly and accurately on the writing paper.

3. Brush

The brush pen was invented very early in China’s history. Brush pen use can date to at least three thousand years ago. The construction of brushes are adapted to a specific purpose such as painting or calligraphy and desired effect to be achieved such as clearly defined characters or blurred ones. And unlike conventional pens with a metal point, a brush pen is made from fine, soft animal hair. The resulting flexibility of the point of the brush pen is perhaps its most unique feature. A brush pen can be manipulated not only to the left and right on a two-dimensional plane, but can also be raised up and down, creating lines of varying thicknesses and endless variations. Many aspects of Chinese painting and calligraphy developed due to the special characteristics of the brush pen.

The brush pens are classified by the type of hair used: goat hair, wolf hair, and purple hair. Wolf hair brushes are actually made from weasel hair and purple hair brushes from rabbit hair. Goat hair brushes are soft, flexible, and absorbent. Purple hair brushes produce bold lines and are best suited to calligraphy. Sometimes, to achieve a balance between steely and feathery lines, a brush that combines hair from two different types of animals is used. Not only is the handle made from bamboo, wood, lacquer, and porcelain, but also from precious materials including mother-of-pearl inlay, ivory, and jade. Usually, painters and calligraphers have several types of brushes on hand to adapt to individual purposes and preferences.

Some ancient writing brushes were also excavated in the graves of the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring Sates, the Qin and Han Dynasties, In the Tang and Song Dynasties, Xuanzhou became the national writing-brush-producing centre, whose products were called “Xuan-bi”, and “Zhuge-bi” was the best in quality in Xuanzhou. After the Yuan Dynasty the brush-producing industry of Huzhou boomed, and “Hu-bi” replaced “Xuan-bi”. The characteristics of “Hu-bi” were sharp, neat, round and tough.

3.1 Correct Way of Holding a Calligraphy Brush

Learning to hold the brush correctly is also as important as choosing a good brush and keeping a good posture. Chinese calligraphy students all need a good way to hold brush to guarantee their success in the art. Holding the brush incorrectly will never produce the desired effects in Chinese calligraphy. As a beginner, always try to hold the brush firmly and keep it straight and vertical to the desk. Unlike Western calligraphy or pen writing, do not hold the brush in a slanted angle. The brush needs to be held with all five fingers because each finger plays a different vital role in writing each character’s strokes. If a certain finger is not used, the effect in each stroke will look different. Remember to keep the wrist and palm in a smooth angle to avoid muscle stain.

3.2 Basic Chinese Calligraphy Brush Theories

The Centre Tip Theory (Zong Fong Principle) refers to keep the brush tip always in the middle of the stroke and keep the brush handle perpendicular to the desk during writing. In this way the strokes will be full of strength an vigor ancient Chinese calligraphers have constantly emphasized this brush operating rule because it is the core of all Chinese calligraphy theories and principles. Unlike Western calligraphy or pen writing, Chinese calligraphy brushes have soft hairs and require the practitioner to hold a brush vertical to the paper. If we ever need to bend the brush a little bit, it should be less than ten degree or minimal.

The Centre Tip Principle requires the writer to keep the brush perpendicular to the paper at all times. However not all Chinese calligraphy styles obey the Centre Tip Theory absolutely without using “Tse Fong” or other techniques and combinations. Tse Fong refers to bending the brush tip and handle sideways to create some effects, it is used very frequently in Chinese Brush Painting and may be combined with Zong Fong in practicing Chinese calligraphy. However, only with mastering the Centre Tip Principle can a Chinese calligrapher achieve a high level. If one can practice with Zong Fong easily, one can do Tse Fong even more easily, but usually not vise versa. A balanced blend of Zong Fong, Tse Fong and other techniques will create a beautiful and lively style. A work consisting only the “Zong Fong” technique will look powerful, masculine, and solemn, yet a work without enough Zong Fong strokes will be weak, faint, and detachable.

3.3 Basic Brush Techniques for Chinese Calligraphy

The brush techniques are closely related to each Chinese character’s strokes as well as different Chinese calligraphy styles. Different strokes or styles may require different techniques. The principles of Chinese calligraphy strokes are the foundation of Chinese brush painting

4. Ink Stick

Traditional Chinese ink was usually solidified into ink sticks for easier transport and preservation. The ink stick is the unique pigment of Chinese traditional painting and calligraphy. At the initial stage natural ink or half-natural ink was generally used. It was during the Han that artificial ink appeared. At that time the most famous ink stick was “Yumi-mo” produced at Qianyang, Shaanxi. The raw materials of ink-stick were pine, oil and lacquer.

Before the Five Dynasties the ink-producing centre was in the North, then it reached the South. The most celebrated South ink stick was “Hui-mo”, which was produced in Huizhou of Anhui.

4.1 Production

In general, ink sticks are made with soot and animal glue, with other ingredients occasionally added as preservatives or for aesthetics.

Soot is produced by anoxic burning of oils such as tung oil, soybean oil, tea seed oil and lard, or from wood such as pine. Animal glue includes egg white, fish skin, or ox hide glues are used to bind the ink sticks together. To improve the physical aesthetics of the ink stick, incense and herb extracts from Traditional Chinese medicine such as cloves, comfrey, ash bark, sappanwood, white sandalwood, Oriental sweetgum, or even deer musk and pearl dush were added.

These ingredients are mixed together in precise proportions into dough and then kneaded until the dough is smooth and even. The dough is then cut and pressed into a mold and slowly dried. Badly made ink sticks will crack and craze, due to inadequate kneading, imprecise soot to glue ratio, or uneven drying.

5. Ink Stone

To use the traditional ink stick, an ink stone is required. As the name suggests, most ink stones are made of stone. The stone used must be of relatively fine whetstone materials so the bristles of the brush pen are not damaged and to facilitate the grinding of the ink stick could. A little water is added to the ink stone, and the ink stick is ground. The result is ink, and the ink stone acts as an inkwell. Ink stones are extremely durable. In ancient times, artisans would have their names or other words engraved on their ink stones to be passed on to future generations.

5.1 Four Famous Ink Stones

For serious calligraphers and painters, a good ink stone is as important as the quality of the ink. An ink stone will affect the quality and texture of the ink that is ground upon it. Four kinds of Chinese ink stones are especially noted in ink stone art history and are popularly known as the “Four Famous ink stones”.

5.1.1 Duan Ink stones

It is produced in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province. Duan stone is a volcanic tuff, commonly of a purple to a purple-red colour. There are various distinctive markings, due to various rock materials imbedded in the stone that create unique designs and stone eyes which were traditionally valued in China. The mines from which the raw stone was excavated carefully categorize Duan ink stones. Particular mines were open only for discrete periods in history. For example, the Mazukeng mine was originally opened in the Qianlong reign (1736-1795), although reopened in modern times.

5.1.2 She Ink Stones

It comes from She Country (Anhui Province) and Wuyuan Country. This stone is a variety of slate and like Duan stone is categorized by the various mines from which the stone was obtained historically. It has a black colour and also displays a variety of gold-like markings. She ink stones were first used during the Tang Dynasty.

5.1.3 Tao(he) Ink Stones

They are made from the stones found at the bottom of the Tao River in Gansu Province. These ink stones were frist used during the Song Dynasty and became rapidly desired. It bears distinct markings such as bands of ripples with varying shdes. The stone is crystalline and looks like jade. These stones have become increasingly rare and are difficult to find. It can easily be confused with a green Duan stone, but can distinguished by its crystalline nature.

5.1.4 Chengnl Ink Stones

They are ceramic-manufactured ink stones. This process began in the Tang Dynasty and is said to have originated in Luoyang, Henan.

6. Modernisation

While retaining the strengths of the traditional “four treasures of the study’, modern technology and materials are being applied to make these treasures even more practical and suited to the need of the user. The dependence of the Chinese arts of calligraphy and painting on this set of “treasures of the study” to express the ideas, writing system, experience and the feelings of the Chinese people has brought forth an eternal cultural institution. As a result, Chinese calligraphy and painting has sparked much interest and discussion in the international art world.

For instance, recent research and development has created the possibility of manufacturing a fine quality of paper from pineapple leaf fiber pulp. Because it is soft and flexible, this type of handmade paper has an almost perfect degree of absorbency for brush-and-ink calligraphy and painting, so the art and the material combine to produce optimal results.

7. Conclusion

The four treasures of studio: paper, brush, ink stick and ink stone have a long history. They play important role in Chinese calligraphy and painting. Each treasures have their characteristics, we need to choose the most suitable one to write and paint. There are fewer people do Chinese calligraphy nowadays, however, since it is a traditional Chinese culture, people should keep this culture live continuously and spread it out, and to let more people to know more about the Chinese calligraphy culture.

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8. Reference

China Virtual Tours 2010, China Virtual Tours, viewed 13 October 2012, <http://www.chinavista.com/experience/study/study.html>

Four Treasures of Study 2009, Four Treasures of Study, viewed 13 October 2012, <http://www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/calligraphy-four-treasures.php>

The Four Treasures of A Studio 2012, The For Treasures of A Studio, viewed 13 October 2012, <http://lilyhonglei.com/chinese_painting/II.%20The%20Four%20Treasures%20of%20A%20Studio.pdf>

Zhi Ying, 1991, Li Dai Kai Shu Bei Tie Gang Bi Lin Xie Ru Men, Shanghai Wen Hua Publishing, Shanghai

Qi Chong Tian, 1997, Shu Fa Wen Zi Xue, Beijing Yu Yien Wen Hua Da Xue Publishing, Beijing