Four Treasures of the Study

Brushes，paper，ink sticks and ink slabs together are called the Four Treasures of the Study，which are essential for the development of Chinese calligraphy.

Brush

The earliest writing brush was found in a tomb of the Warring States Period.From then on，the brush has evolved into many forms.Traditionally，rabbit’s hair was used to make the nib.

Later as the quality of rabbit’s hair diminished，people chose to use other materials for nibs，such as sheep’s hair，weasel’s hair and wolf’s hair.The materials used for making shaft also cover a large variety，ranging from bamboo，and ivory to gold，silver，ox horn，and so on.Brushes with different types of nibs have their own features，and the calligraphers know how to choose the most appropriate brushes according to the script they use.The brushes from Anhui，Jiangsu，Jiangxi，and Henan Provinces are the most famous throughout the country.

Ink Stick

The ink is made by rubbing rectangular or round ink stick on ink slabs with little water.

Since the Han Dynasty，ink sticks have been made from the soot of coal and pine wood，mixing other materials such as animal glue.When the ink stick is ground on the slab with water，ink comes into being.The features of ink sticks influence the style of writing；similarly，the consistencies influence the smoothness of strokes.The consistencies of ink are closely related to the amount of water used for grinding.Thick ink is deep and glossy when applied to paper，while thin ink appears lively and translucent.2Today，there are ready-made bottle inks，but many calligraphers still prefer traditional ink sticks，feeling that the process of grinding the ink gives them inspiration.

Paper

Before paper was invented，knots in cords were used to record events.Soon people began to carve on bone，ivory，turtle shells and bronze for record-keeping.Then for many years people wrote on pieces of bamboo.During the early Han Dynasty，wealthy people wrote on white silk.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty，Cai Lun（61-121）invented papermaking；however，paper didn’t replace silk and bamboo until the Jin Dynasty，when more durable paper of better quality was produced.From then on，varieties of paper took shape and became the dominant writingmaterial.The most famous paper for writing is Xuan Paper from Xuancheng and Jingxian of Anhui Province.This type of paper is white and soft.What’s more，it is good at absorbing the ink.Xuan paper keeps color for a long time，which is why it is the top choice of calligraphers and painters.

Ink Slab

It is a container which is used to rub ink sticks，possibly derived from a food-rubbing device.Ink slabs are usually made of stone，and there are other materials，such as pottery and porcelain.Famous stone ink slabs are Duan ink slabs，She ink slabs），Lu ink slabs，and Tao ink slabs，respectively from Guangdong，Anhui，Shandong，and Gansu Provinces.The ink slab is more than a container，and it possesses great artistic values.Since the Qing Dynasty，people have been collecting ink slabs，paying more attention to the artistic values rather than the practical values.

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