With a history of 1,100 years, Yangzhou writing bush making skill is quite particular by using natural raw materials and complicated craft. For a cleverish writing brush, over 120 working procedures are required from raw material selection, polishing to fastening hair, which are linked with each other and each procedure is careful and precise. While the key craft can only be finished by well-experienced craftsmen depending on their hand feel, tongue feel and eye check, and many steps correct to millimeter.
The characteristic of Yangzhou writing brush is “it has abutilon theophrasti mrdic as the lining and is packed into the cover with water ”. Namely, when our ancestors were making the writing brush, they made abutilon theophrasti mrdic into fibre which was as fine as hair and was put inside as the lining; such craft is really very profound and its advantage is: the brush will contain water but not leak, have very good aquosity and good ink containing property, and can write smoothly.
It’s quite particular for Yangzhou writing brush that it’s very even during writing. The skill has been kept developing by generations of families and the inheritance from master to apprentice, and Yangzhou writing brush has become one of Chinese top four writing brush schools.
