The four treasures of the study - brush, ink, paper and inkstone - were the core tools of the Chinese scholar studio, and a craft tradition in their own right.
Huzhou brushes from Zhejiang have sharp, balanced tips - the best of their kind; wolf-hair brushes are firm, goat-hair soft, and the centred brushstroke runs fine or bold.
Huizhou ink from Anhui is made of pine or lamp soot bound with glue; ground with water it gives glossy, long-lasting black ink with a pleasant fragrance - fine ink sticks keep for centuries.
Xuan paper from Jingxian, Anhui, is tough yet absorbent - "paper that lives a thousand years". Raw xuan spreads the ink, sized xuan does not; painters choose accordingly.
Duan inkstones from Zhaoqing, Guangdong, are smooth and grind ink like oil; owning a fine one was a Song scholar pride.
Today the four treasures are not just tools but intangible-heritage craft and art; museums, souvenir shops and calligraphy classes bring them within reach.
The "Four Treasures of the Study" are four treasures in a Chinese scholar study: brush, ink, paper, inkstone. They are writing tools and important symbols of Chinese culture.
The brush: Chinese writing brush, its tip made of animal hair - goat, weasel, blended. Good brushes hold their point and spring back, writing thick or thin with endless variation.
Ink: not liquid but an ink stick. Before writing, add water to the inkstone and grind the stick slowly; the ink has a faint fragrance. The grinding itself is a kind of meditation.
Paper: specifically rice paper (xuan paper), made in Jing County, Anhui, from blue sandalwood bark and rice straw. Highly absorbent, it can survive a thousand years. Ancient calligraphy survives today thanks to xuan paper.
Inkstone: the grinding stone; Duan inkstones from Guangdong and She inkstones from Anhui are most famous. Good ones grind fast without harming the brush; some are exquisite carved artworks.
The four treasures are more than a tool set. The ancients said "fine brush and inkstone, one joy of life". A scholar treated his study as a spiritual world; the four treasures were its companions.
Fewer people write with brushes today, but the treasures value remains: they represent the traditional Chinese lifestyle of calm, focus and elegance.
If interested in Chinese culture, buy a brush and try. Remember: "bǐ" brush, "mò" ink, "zhǐ" paper, "yàn" inkstone. Write the character "jiā" (home) and feel the beauty of Chinese characters.
Today the four treasures are a special gift China gives foreign friends. Many Confucius Institutes and Chinese schools teach students to write their Chinese names with brushes. Your hand shakes at first and characters come out crooked - but this clumsiness makes many fall in love with characters. Try it: write your Chinese name with a brush and feel something wonderful - you write not just a name but several thousand years of culture.
Brush, ink, paper, inkstone - each is a business card of Chinese culture. May you enter this ancient and elegant world starting from one brush.
Action speaks louder than desire - pick up the brush and write.
Every stroke you write is a dialogue with the Chinese character.
