Chinese Brush Parts Guide: Understanding Your Calligraphy Pen
Understanding Chinese brush parts is essential for anyone interested in traditional calligraphy and painting. Whether you’re a beginner choosing your first brush or an experienced artist looking to expand your collection, knowing the different Chinese brush parts will help you make informed decisions. Each component of a Chinese brush serves a specific purpose and affects how the brush performs. From the delicate brush tip that creates beautiful strokes to the sturdy handle that provides control, every Chinese brush part plays a crucial role in your artistic journey. Modern Chinese brushes combine traditional craftsmanship with contemporary materials, making it important to understand what each part does and why it matters. This comprehensive guide will walk you through all the essential Chinese brush parts, their materials, and how they impact your calligraphy experience.
After Qi Ming Wen Fang released the new Qingyi Chinese brush, a calligraphy beginner asked about the white part at the bottom of the brush. Qi Ming was puzzled at first, so I asked which white part he meant. Finally, this friend pointed to the component that connects the brush handle and the brush tip – the ferrule.
The ferrule on Qi Ming’s Qingyi Chinese brush is made of plastic. In fact, most Chinese brushes with ferrules use plastic material. Only a few expensive brushes use ivory or horn. Of course, ivory is now prohibited, so no one uses ivory for ferrules anymore.
To make future discussions about Chinese brush specifications and designs easier, Qi Ming will use this custom-made Qingyi Chinese brush as an example for everyone’s reference.
Chinese Brush Parts: Main Components
This image shows the overall structure of a Chinese brush. Usually, from top to bottom, there are:
1. Brush Top
This consists of the hanging cord, brush knob, and brush cap.
2. Brush Handle
Usually made of bamboo, wood, or metal. Some use ivory, but we don’t recommend buying ivory products.
3. Ferrule
Usually made of plastic. Some wooden or ceramic handles have the handle and ferrule as one piece. A few Chinese brushes have ferrules made of horn or ivory.
4. Brush Tip
Usually made from animal hair and nylon.
These are the main components of a Chinese brush.
Understanding Brush Tips and Materials
This image mainly shows the names of the brush tip and ferrule parts. The most common brush tips are made from:
- Sheep hair (Yang Hao)
- Weasel tail hair (Lang Hao)
- Mountain rabbit back hair (Zi Hao or Tu Hao)
These three hair types are the best materials for making Chinese brush tips.
Other less commonly used materials include chicken feathers, deer hair, duck feathers, pig bristles, mouse whiskers, tiger hair, yellow cattle ear hair, and badger hair.
However, I generally recommend mixed-hair brushes (Jian Hao). These are usually made from two or more types of hair. For example, Qi Ming’s custom Qingyi Chinese brush is a mixed-hair brush made from weasel and sheep hair.
For beginners, brushes made from only one type of hair are usually not very user-friendly. This doesn’t apply to calligraphers with experience, deep skills, or special brush preferences.
Measuring Your Chinese Brush
This image shows two important indicators for measuring Chinese brush size: tip diameter and tip length. Usually, you can determine how large characters this brush can write just by looking at these two measurements.
This image shows all the measurement indicators for a complete Chinese brush with a ferrule.
Different terms might be used for the same measurements. For example, some people call handle length “shaft length,” and handle diameter might be called “shaft thickness.” The terms may vary, but they mean the same thing.
Practical Example
Finally, here’s an actual measurement example of my custom Qingyi Chinese brush, which is larger than the Qingquan brush:
Honestly, the most important measurements are still the tip diameter and tip length, because these ultimately determine how large characters you can write with this Chinese brush.
Buying Tips
For friends who already own Chinese brushes, when buying new ones (especially online), you can measure your old brushes after seeing the seller’s measurements. Compare them to get a clear idea of the size of the brush you’re about to buy.
Understanding the dimensions of Chinese brush parts becomes even more valuable when you’re shopping for additional brushes. By familiarizing yourself with how different Chinese brush parts are measured, you can make more confident online purchases. Take time to measure each of the Chinese brush parts on your current brushes – the tip diameter, tip length, handle diameter, and overall length.
Keep a record of these measurements along with notes about how each brush performs for different character sizes and writing styles. This personal reference guide of Chinese brush parts measurements will become invaluable when evaluating new brushes online. When sellers provide detailed specifications, you can quickly compare them against your existing collection to determine if a new brush will meet your specific needs.
Many online retailers now provide comprehensive measurements for all major Chinese brush parts, making it easier than ever to shop with confidence. By understanding how these measurements translate to actual brush performance, you’ll avoid disappointment and build a collection that truly serves your calligraphy practice.Retry
Recommended Reading:
“How Traditional Chinese Brushes Are Made: Complete Manufacturing Process“
