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Tools of history -- bi and mo
By Fang Zhuojun |
January 3, 2009, Saturday
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TWO of China's "Four Treasures of the Study" -- brush and ink -- are the focus of the small, specialized Shanghai Museum of Traditional Writing. Fang Zhuojun reports
Goat hair, weasel hair, wolf hair and the hair from many beasts have distinctive properties that make them ideal for the painstakingly fashioned brushes (bi) of traditional Chinese paintings.
The ink (mo) too is laboriously made by burning pine or other wood in an earthenware container, mixing the dense ash with a glue and compressing it into an ink stick or another form.
Brushes and ink are two of the legendary "Four Treasures of the Study," tools of China's literati -- its painters, poets and calligraphers -- over thousands of years. The other two vital elements of culture are the ink stone for grinding (yan) and rice paper (zhi).
These first two treasures are the focus of the Shanghai Museum of Traditional Writing that opened early last month.
Bi, the traditional brush, can be traced back 7,000 years to the Neolithic Age. But it became recognized during the Warring States Period (476-221 BC) and was improved with the contribution of Meng Tian, a general of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).
The brushes are usually made of animal hair with a bamboo shaft; the craft has become complicated and meticulous. The hair of all kinds of animals was once used: goat, ox, rabbit, sheep, rabbit, marten, badger, deer, boar, wolf -- each had certain properties .
The museum has an extensive display of bi of many sizes and hair types. They are categorized as large size (dakai), medium (zhongkai) and small (xiaokai).
The hairs are categorized as soft (yanghao), usually taken from a goat; some are medium (jianhao or zihao), taken from a rabbit; and some are harder or stiff (langhao), taken from a weasel tail. The hair of different animals can be combined to create special textures and effects. A puff of wool can create clouds.
"The various changing forms of Chinese paintings and calligraphy depend mainly on these two factors -- brush-head size and softness. For different writing and painting skills, specific brushes are needed," says Du Hong, curator of the new museum. "It is the tiny difference and the details that make the Chinese brush as well as Chinese culture."
As for the ink, mo, it is solid and there have been many kinds. It is commonly made by burning pine wood or another substance in an earthenware jar and combining the densely packed ash with a kind of glue.
The museum displays pictures, raw materials and examples of ink over the ages.
A very unusual antique piece of ink is shaped like a ruyi, a scepter tribute offering that conveys wishes for happiness and good fortune. A traditional ruyi has a long s-shaped handle and a head fashioned like a fist, cloud, or lingzhi fungus. This one dates from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
"It takes great care and patience to make this arc, the pressure used in bending can be neither too strong nor too weak," says Du. "After the shaping, it takes about 24 months for the ink to dry completely in a totally dry and dark environment."
By mixing ink with water and then grinding it on an ink stone, the writer or artist can create different densities and innumerable shades of black, white and gray.
Opening hours: 9am-5pm Address: 429 Fuzhou Rd
Tel: 6328-1558
Admission: Free
Goat hair, weasel hair, wolf hair and the hair from many beasts have distinctive properties that make them ideal for the painstakingly fashioned brushes (bi) of traditional Chinese paintings.
The ink (mo) too is laboriously made by burning pine or other wood in an earthenware container, mixing the dense ash with a glue and compressing it into an ink stick or another form.
Brushes and ink are two of the legendary "Four Treasures of the Study," tools of China's literati -- its painters, poets and calligraphers -- over thousands of years. The other two vital elements of culture are the ink stone for grinding (yan) and rice paper (zhi).
These first two treasures are the focus of the Shanghai Museum of Traditional Writing that opened early last month.
Bi, the traditional brush, can be traced back 7,000 years to the Neolithic Age. But it became recognized during the Warring States Period (476-221 BC) and was improved with the contribution of Meng Tian, a general of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).
The brushes are usually made of animal hair with a bamboo shaft; the craft has become complicated and meticulous. The hair of all kinds of animals was once used: goat, ox, rabbit, sheep, rabbit, marten, badger, deer, boar, wolf -- each had certain properties .
The museum has an extensive display of bi of many sizes and hair types. They are categorized as large size (dakai), medium (zhongkai) and small (xiaokai).
The hairs are categorized as soft (yanghao), usually taken from a goat; some are medium (jianhao or zihao), taken from a rabbit; and some are harder or stiff (langhao), taken from a weasel tail. The hair of different animals can be combined to create special textures and effects. A puff of wool can create clouds.
"The various changing forms of Chinese paintings and calligraphy depend mainly on these two factors -- brush-head size and softness. For different writing and painting skills, specific brushes are needed," says Du Hong, curator of the new museum. "It is the tiny difference and the details that make the Chinese brush as well as Chinese culture."
As for the ink, mo, it is solid and there have been many kinds. It is commonly made by burning pine wood or another substance in an earthenware jar and combining the densely packed ash with a kind of glue.
The museum displays pictures, raw materials and examples of ink over the ages.
A very unusual antique piece of ink is shaped like a ruyi, a scepter tribute offering that conveys wishes for happiness and good fortune. A traditional ruyi has a long s-shaped handle and a head fashioned like a fist, cloud, or lingzhi fungus. This one dates from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
"It takes great care and patience to make this arc, the pressure used in bending can be neither too strong nor too weak," says Du. "After the shaping, it takes about 24 months for the ink to dry completely in a totally dry and dark environment."
By mixing ink with water and then grinding it on an ink stone, the writer or artist can create different densities and innumerable shades of black, white and gray.
Opening hours: 9am-5pm Address: 429 Fuzhou Rd
Tel: 6328-1558
Admission: Free
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