Xiuling Lake Brushes

Xiuling Lake Brushes

　　　　Product Origin: Xialing, Fuyang, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

　　Product Features: The brush hairs are upright and resilient, the brush handles are clean and smooth. Whether for writing or painting, they combine softness with strength, offering smooth strokes and a balanced mix of dry and wet ink effects.

　　Product Introduction: Xiuling Lake Brushes. When speaking of the uniquely charming Chinese writing brushes, one cannot fail to mention the Xiuling Lake Brushes from Fuyang. These brushes feature upright and resilient hairs, clean and smooth handles. They offer a perfect blend of softness and strength in writing and painting, with smooth strokes and a tasteful contrast between dry and wet ink. The renowned painter Mr. Zhou Changgu once praised them as being “made with premium materials and meticulous craftsmanship — a true delight in the art.”

　　Product History: According to *Wu Yuan* (《物原》), “Fuxi first carved characters on wood, Xuanyuan later used knives to write, and Emperor Shun wrote on bamboo slips with lacquer.” This refers to ancient practices of carving on wood or bone with knives, or writing on bamboo slips using bamboo sticks and lacquer. The stick-like tool mentioned can still be seen today in the ink markers used by some folk carpenters, which are used for drawing lines and making marks. Writing brushes, as we know them—made by bundling animal hair into a cone shape and attaching it to wooden or bamboo tubes—have been in use in China for over 6,000 years. Archaeological finds from Warring States, Chu, Qin, and Han dynasty tombs show that writing brushes were already widely used in many regions before the Qin dynasty. At that time, people in the Chu region called them *yu*, those in the Wu region called them *bu yu*, and those in the Yan region called them *fu*. It was even said that when the Yellow Emperor’s historian Cangjie created written characters, brushes already existed, though they were only officially named “brushes” (笔) after the Qin dynasty unified China. This name change is related to the Qin general Meng Tian, which is also why brush makers today regard him as their patron ancestor.

　　Meng Tian once campaigned against Chu alongside another general, Wang Jian, in what is today Xuancheng and Jing County in Anhui Province, an area historically known as Zhongshan. This region was rich in slender, smooth bitter bamboo and wild rabbit fur. He improved the brush using the “core-wrap method,” a technique that combines different types of animal hair for the brush core and outer layer. This innovation marked a significant development in the history of brush-making in China. The phrase “Meng Tian made the brush” should be understood as “manufactured” rather than “invented.” Later, he led troops stationed in what is now the Hetao region of Inner Mongolia. After the second Qin emperor ascended the throne, Prime Minister Li Si, fearing Meng Tian’s growing influence and potential difficulty in control, had him poisoned. Across China, various brush-making communities have passed down different stories about Meng Tian through generations—a reflection of the people's enduring respect.

　　The term “Four Treasures of the Study” began to appear during the Song dynasty. Starting from the Jin dynasty, many figures—including Wang Xizhi, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Bai Juyi, and Huang Tingjian—wrote extensively in praise of Xuan brushes. By the Yuan dynasty, due to warfare and other factors, people migrated to the more stable and prosperous Taihu Lake region. Many brush makers also moved to Huzhou, joining forces with the already established local brush-making industry. Additionally, it is said that Wang Xizhi’s seventh-generation descendant, Wang Faji (also known as Zen Master Zhiyong) of the Sui dynasty, resided at Yongxin Temple in Shanlian, where he wrote 800 volumes of the *Thousand Character Classic*, distributing copies to temples across the southeast. So many people came to request his calligraphy that they wore out the temple’s doorstep, which had to be reinforced with iron sheeting. During the Yuan dynasty, the “Three Wonders of Wuxing” (吴兴三绝)—the calligraphy of Zhao Mengfu, the paintings of Qian Shunju, and the brushes of Feng Yingke—became famous even in the imperial court. As a result, Huzhou brushes (湖笔) eventually surpassed the “Zhongshan brushes” (Xuan brushes) and claimed the top position nationwide.