What the earliest Chinese pens looked like

The earliest pen in China was the brush. A kind of traditional writing and drawing tools originated from China, made of the hair of poultry and animals.

Beginning with rabbit hair, later also used sheep, weasel, wolf, chicken, mouse and other animal hair. The barrel is made of bamboo or other materials. The head is round and pointed, used for traditional writing and drawing. Nowadays, the earliest physical discovery is the Warring States period.

The brushes are made of animal hair tied into a nib and then bonded to a tubular shaft. A good brush should have the characteristics of "sharp, flush, round and healthy". Including sharp brush; neat trimming; rounded nibs; brush elasticity, write the word sharp and robust.

Expanded information:

The choice of brushes:

Tip: The tip of the brush refers to the bristles of the brush when the hairs are gathered together, and the end should be sharp. The tip of the brush is easy to write sharp edges, easier to convey the spirit.

Qi: refers to the tip of the pen to run open after flattening, the tip of the hair flush. Hair if Qi is equal to the length of the pressure level, there is no gap in the pen, "ten thousand hair Qi force". Because the pen needs to be completely wet open.

Round: refers to the pen hair complete as the shape of a date palm, that is, the meaning of sufficient hair.

Healthy: the elasticity of the pen waist; the pen hair will be lifted after heavy pressure, and then recovered to its original shape. The pen has elasticity, can be used freely; generally speaking, rabbit hair, wolf hair elasticity than sheep hair strong, writing in the firm and precipitous. On this point, moist open after the pen heavy press and then lift, the front straight is healthy.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Brushes