Introduction to Four Treasures of the Study?

The tools and materials of China's calligraphy are basically composed of pen, ink, paper and inkstone. People usually call them "Four Treasures of the Study", which roughly means that they are the necessary Four Treasures of the Study for a scholar to study. Because China ancient literati can basically write and draw, or both, they can't do without the four treasures of pen, ink, paper and inkstone.

The name of the study originated from the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589 AD) in the history of China, especially referring to the scholar's study, which uses pen, ink, paper and inkstone as the study, and is known as the "Four Treasures of the Study". In addition to Four Treasures of the Study, there are also pen containers, pen containers, ink beds, ink cartridges, handrails, pens, book towns, water spoons, inkstone drops, inkstone boxes, inkpad, Yin He, knives, stamps and drums. This is also an essential product in the research. Four Treasures of the Study collected by the Palace Museum is mostly made by famous teachers in the Qing Dynasty and used by the royal family. Its exquisite materials and exquisite craftsmanship represent the development level of stationery in China for thousands of years and the creative wisdom and artistic talent of skilled craftsmen. It is a treasure in stationery.

Among many pen products, the brush is a unique category in China. Traditional brush is not only a necessary learning tool for the ancients, but also has a unique charm in expressing the special charm of China's paintings and calligraphy. However, because the brush is fragile and difficult to preserve, ancient pens that have been passed down to this day are rare.

There are many kinds of pens in ancient times. Judging from the raw materials of the pen, there are rabbit hair, white hair, Miki Sayaka, yellow hair, sheep beard, horse hair, deer hair, musk hair, badger hair, raccoon hair, mink hair, moustache, mouse tail, tiger hair, wolf tail, fox hair, otter hair, orangutan hair, goose hair, duck hair and chicken feather. In terms of performance, there are bristles, soft bristles and double brushes. Judging from the texture of the pen holder, there are bamboo joints, feather bamboo, spotted bamboo, brown bamboo, purple bamboo, chicken wings, sandalwood, nanmu, rosewood, fragrant wood, carved lacquer, green lacquer, snail, ivory, rhinoceros horn, horn, tortoise shell, jade, crystal and glass.

pen

The earliest writing brush can be traced back to about two thousand years ago. Although there were no brush objects in the Western Zhou Dynasty and above, some signs of using a brush can be found in prehistoric painted pottery patterns and Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the brush was widely used to write bamboo slips and silk books. The writing brush of the Spring and Autumn Period was found in the tomb of Zeng Houyi in Leigudun, Suizhou City, Hubei Province. It is the earliest pen found so far. Later, the Warring States pens unearthed in Zuojiagong Mountain, Changsha City, Hunan Province, the Qin pens unearthed in Shuihudi, Yunmeng County, Hubei Province, and Fangmatan, Tianshui City, Gansu Province, as well as Mawangdui in Changsha, Fenghuang Mountain in jiangling county City, Gansu Province, Xuanquanjia in Dunhuang City, Maquanwan, the Han pens in the ancient rock area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the Western Jin pens in Wuwei are all precious materials left by ancient times.

black

It seems a little simplistic, but it is an indispensable article in ancient Chinese. With the help of this original material, the fantastic artistic conception of China's paintings and calligraphy can be realized. The world of ink is not boring, but rich in connotation. As a consumable, ink can be presented intact today, which is very precious.

Before the invention of artificial ink making, natural ink or semi-natural ink was generally used as writing material. Prehistoric painted pottery patterns, Shang and Zhou Oracle Bone Inscriptions, bamboo slips, silk paintings and so on have left traces of original ink everywhere. According to documents, ink was also used in ancient ink punishment (face painting), ink rope (carpenter's use) and ink turtle (divination). After this long course, in the Han Dynasty, artificial ink finally began to appear. This kind of ink raw material is taken from pine smoke, which is first kneaded by hand and then molded, and the ink quality is solid. According to Ying Shao's "Han" in the Eastern Han Dynasty, "Shang Shuling, Servant Shooting, Cheng Lang, give a large amount of ink and a small amount of ink every month." Bai Weiling is located in Qianyang County, Shaanxi Province, near Zhong Nanshan Mountain. There are many pine trees on the right side of the mountain, which are very famous for the tobacco used to make ink.

From the production to the final product, there are many processes such as glue injection, blending, steaming and baking, and there is also a molding process. Ink carving is an important process and also an artistic creation process. The shapes of ink are generally square, rectangular, round, oval and irregular. Ink mold is generally composed of front, back, top, bottom, left and right six pieces, while circular or idol-shaped ink mold can be synthesized only by four or two pieces. Built-in ink, close the hammer and smash the finished product. Most of the nib is engraved on the side, so that the ink mold can be easily replaced when it is reused. There are many forms of ink, which can be divided into natural ink, lacquer ink, gold ink and lacquer ink.

paper

It is one of the four great inventions in ancient China, and has made outstanding contributions to cultural exchanges in history. Even in the prevalence of machine-made paper today, some traditional handmade papers still reflect its irreplaceable role and glow with unique brilliance. Ancient newspapers can still get a glimpse of him in Gu Shuhua.

For a long time before the invention of paper, what did people use as notes? According to literature and physical data, the earliest people used knots to take notes. When something happened, they tied a knot and solved it when it was over. Later, he carved on the tortoise shell, which is called "Oracle Bone Inscriptions". After the bronze wares were made, they were engraved with inscriptions, namely "Bronze Inscription" or "Zhong Dingwen". Then, write the words on the pieces cut from the bamboo, which are called "bamboo slips". For example, a wide piece of bamboo is called a "bamboo slip". At the same time, some of them are also written on silk fabrics. In the pre-Qin period, in addition to the above materials, words carved on stones were also found, such as the famous "Shi Guwen".

As we all know, paper was invented by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, recent archaeological excavations have questioned this. With the progress of archaeological work along the Northwest Silk Road, many sites and tombs of the Western Han Dynasty have been discovered, including many paper cultural relics. These rights documents are named after the unearthed places.

According to the chronological order of ancient paper unearthed at present, it can be arranged as follows: Fangmatan Paper, Baqiao Paper, Xuanquan Paper, Maquanwan Paper, Juyan Paper in the Middle Western Han Dynasty and Dry Beach Paper in the Late Western Han Dynasty. These papers not only predate Cai Lun paper, but also have ink fonts on some papers, indicating that they have been used to write documents.

inkstone

Inkstone, also known as "Inkstone", was praised by the ancients as "the hand of Four Treasures of the Study". Because ink can only be called by adding water to grind it, and the stone punishment for sending ink is inkstone. Among them are pottery, clay, bricks, metals, lacquerware, porcelain, stones and so on. The most common is inkstone. There are many stones that can be used as inkstones. China is vast in territory and abundant in natural resources, with famous mountains and rivers everywhere. Where there are stones, there must be masons, so the origin of inkstone is all over the country.

The most famous ones are Duanyan inkstone in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, Sheyan inkstone in Anhui, Luyan inkstone in Shandong, Weilong inkstone in Jiangxi and Chengni inkstone in Shaanxi. The stress of inkstone is: thin and greasy, moist and pure, crystal clear and smooth, good texture and color, easy to ink and not absorb water. Some have breasts, some have eyes, some have belts, some have stars, and the production is better where there are mountains and water. For example, this inkstone was taken from an axe bathed in Jiang Wei's mine in Duan Xi. Although they come from the same place, their rocks are also different, such as blue and white, azure, banana leaf white, fish brain jelly, ice flower Venus, rib, eyebrow pattern, HongLing, swallow, purple stone, turtle stone and so on. Shi Jia has yet to improve, and the carving of inkstone platform has already formed an art, which can convey its ingenuity from taking stones, cutting materials, modeling, grooving, polishing and carving. Some exquisite inkstones are no longer practical. Because of its preciousness, it can only be used for antique appreciation and collection, rather than indulging in pen and ink. The preciousness of inkstone includes valuing stones, making them, using them by celebrities and so on.

The inkstone needs to be cleaned frequently and cannot be polluted. Every inkstone must be clean and fresh. In Mo Ding, the older the better. As time goes on, its glue will naturally dissolve, but water can't be stored and must be replaced. If you are afraid of oil, you can wash it with lotus flowers or old tea leaves. It is best to add water at a slight temperature, and do not add it to the boiling water value to prevent it from bursting. Therefore, calligraphers should not only use inkstones, but also raise them.

Pen, ink, paper and inkstone have their own uses and pay attention to each other. The so-called "clear water of famous inkstone, new development of Gu Mo, old pen and old paper" are combined into one, and then writing our characters has become our unique traditional calligraphy art, which is not only for us to enjoy ourselves, but is increasingly valued and cherished by people all over the world. Brush: also known as brush inkstone, it is used to check the depth of ink or straighten the brush, and is often made into a leaf shape.