What are the supplies for Chinese calligraphy?

Chinese calligraphy is an ancient art form with a long history and profound cultural heritage. Calligraphy supplies are essential tools for calligraphy creation, and also one of the representatives of Chinese traditional culture.

Chinese calligraphy supplies mainly include the following:

• Brush: The brush is the core tool for calligraphy creation, and also the most representative type of Chinese calligraphy supplies. There are many varieties of brushes, which can be divided into many categories according to their raw materials, production techniques, and shapes. Common brushes include wolf hair, sheep hair, and mixed hair.

Wolf hair brushes are known for their sharp tip, good elasticity, and durability, and are suitable for writing running script and cursive script. Sheep hair brushes are known for their soft tip, large ink capacity, and easy to control, and are suitable for writing regular script and clerical script. Mixed hair brushes combine the advantages of wolf hair and sheep hair, and are suitable for writing various scripts.

• Xuan paper: Xuan paper is a traditional paper for calligraphy creation, known for its whiteness, fineness, toughness, and strong ink absorption. The main production areas of Xuan paper are concentrated in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces.

• Ink: Ink is a necessity for calligraphy creation, used to mix ink colors. There are many varieties of ink, which can be divided into many categories according to their raw materials, production techniques, etc. Common inks include oil smoke ink, pine smoke ink, and glue smoke ink.

Oil smoke ink is a traditional ink, made from oil smoke by grinding. Pine smoke ink is made from pine smoke by grinding. Glue smoke ink is made from pine smoke and glue by grinding.

• Inkstone: The inkstone is an implement for grinding ink, which can be divided into many categories according to its material, shape, and craftsmanship. Common inkstones include Duanxian, Huixian, and Chengni inkstones.

Duanxian is produced in Guangdong Duanxiang, known for its hard texture, bright color, and smooth fineness. Huixian is produced in Anhui Huixian, known for its fine texture, warm color, and wear resistance. Chengni is produced in Jiangsu Yixing, known for its fine texture, white color, and strong ink absorption.

• Paperweight: The paperweight is a tool to press the paper to prevent it from slipping, which can be divided into many categories according to its material, shape, and craftsmanship. Common paperweights include copper paperweights, jade paperweights, and stone paperweights.

• Pen holder: The pen holder is an implement to hold brushes, which can be divided into many categories according to its material, shape, and craftsmanship. Common pen holders include wooden pen holders, bamboo pen holders, and ceramic pen holders.

In addition to the above commonly used calligraphy supplies, there are also some auxiliary tools, such as inkstone grinder, pen wash, ink bottle, pen case, and seal.

Calligraphy supplies are essential tools for calligraphy creation, and also one of the representatives of Chinese traditional culture. They not only have practical value, but also have certain artistic value.