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Four Treasures of the Study
- Four Treasures of the Study
Huangshan's most famous product for centuries has been the Four Treasures of the Study. The Four Treasures refer to brush-pens (paintbrushes), ink sticks, ink stones, and paper that are traditionally used to create not only artwork, but also for daily writing purposes. Now the ball-point pen has become widely used for convenience sake, but traditionally all writing either official, or simple correspondence was done with hand ground ink and a brush-pen, which is the Chinese style paintbrush. The Huangshan area has been famous for making the best art supplies in the country for thousands of years, and continues to do so.
Xuan Brush-pen:
The Xuan Brush-pen is made in Jingxian County near Huangshan in Anhui Province. It is known as Xuan Brush-pen because in ancient times, Jingxian County was a part of Xuanzhou prefecture, hence the name. Xuan Brush-pens were originally created during the Jin Dynasty (256-410). Being the best brushes made in China at the time, they became particularly popular with scholars and officials. It was not until the Tang Dynasty (618-907) that the area became a large-scale brush manufacturing center, and the Xuan Brush-pens were listed as a tribute to be sent to the Emperor every year. The best Xuan Brush-pens are made from brown rabbit hair, which are very expensive, but the quality is unmatched. The rabbit hair brushes hold ink extremely well, and allow the ink to flow smoothly onto the paper. It is a dream of many artists to own a Xuan brown rabbit hair brush-pen.
Xuan White Rabbit calligraphic brushes
The brushes crafted at Huangshan are more than just useful tools, they are works of art
She Inkstone:
Traditionally, when an artist wanted to create a painting, or a person wanted to write, they needed to first create ink. This was done with the use of an Inkstick, and Inkstone. A little water was added to the Inkstone, and an inkstick was ground until the desired ink consistency was reached. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in Anhui Province's Shezhou Prefecture, the first She Inkstones were produced and named after the prefecture. She Inkstones have been one of the most sought after items among China's literati for thousands of years. The stones used in manufacturing She Inkstones come in a variety of colors including: grey, light green, and black. What makes She Inkstones so sought after is their ability to grind ink quickly, yet are extremely smooth so that the brush-pens are not worn down by use. Another aspect that makes them desirable is the beauty of the stones themselves. Many of the most expensive stones are not intricately carved, but simply designed to allow the natural beauty of the stones shine through.
She Inkstone carved in the shape of bamboo
The simplicity of the design lets the natural grain of the stone shine through
Hui Ink:
Traditionally when Chinese people wanted to write, or paint, they used Inksticks. Ink did not come in liquid form, but in a hardened stick which needed to be ground on an Inkstone to produce ink. The best Inksticks were produced in what was called Huizhou during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), hence the name Hui Inksticks. An inkstick is made from pine soot, lard, vegetable oils, musk, and many other ingredients. The recipes are closely guarded secrets. Because the pork lard can rot the secret mixture of musk and other ingredients were used to keep the ink from spoiling, allowing the Inksticks to last thousands of years. The natural pigments create an ink that will not fade even after thousands of years. Inksticks are made in innumerable different shapes and sizes. A good inkstick is very finely grained with a smooth texture, have a pleasant aroma due to the musk used in its production, and the colors painted onto the inkstick should not have run or sloppily applied. Cheap inksticks do not have a fragrance, and the colors are poorly applied.
Beautifully created black inksticks
Hui Ink can come in a rainbow of colors
Xuan Paper:
Xuan Paper is the best artist's paper for both calligraphy and painting in China. It is produced in Jingxian County near Huangshan, Anhui Province. Normally known as rice-paper by Westerners, Xuan Paper is very complicated to make. Its production involves over 100 procedures, and to produce a single sheet of paper takes almost one year. Because of its manufacturing techniques, Xuan Paper resists worms, and aging. Xuan Paper is often called Imperial Paper because it not only can last over a thousand years, but was also given as tribute to China's Emperors. It is smooth, yet can absorb ink well.
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