What was the original brush like and what was the origin of the brush?

The original human rabbit hair used for the brush is a very simple process.

The origin of the brush can be traced back to the Neolithic period five or six thousand years ago. From ethnological survey materials, it is known that the ancestors first sharpened bamboo and wood as a tool for calligraphy and painting.

Nowadays, the Tibetan people still maintain the custom of using bamboo pens, that is, the bamboo tube is cut into a triangular bamboo pen, one end is cut into a slope, and the other end is cut into a single-edged pen head, which is dipped in ink to write. Writing with this kind of bamboo pen is quite robust but not soft enough, which affects the vividness and smoothness of the painting.

In the tombs excavated in Jiangzhai Village, Lintong, Shaanxi Province, more than 5,000 years ago, the unearthed cultural relics include concave stone inkstones, pestles, dyeing and other tools and some painted pottery such as pottery cups.

The patterns on these painted pottery are smooth and clear, and the decorative patterns are of the appropriate thickness, which is not something that can be done with a pen made of bamboo and wood. Experts deduce that the prototype of a brush may have appeared at this time.

In addition, the hieroglyphs of the pen have appeared in the oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty, which resemble the appearance of holding a pen in the hand. Shang Dynasty pottery and oracle bones retain the divination written in ink, Henan Anyang Yinxu unearthed pottery shards have a "ritual" word, the pen is clear, the thickness is decent, and only with an elastic brush, can achieve such an artistic effect.

This shows that in the process of long-term life, the Chinese nation understands nature in its own way, grasps the laws, and gradually develops China's unique ideological concepts, and chooses a soft brush as a tool in writing activities.

The brush is a traditional writing and drawing tool that originated in China. It is said that the brush was created by Meng Tian. So far, known as the hometown of brushes, Hebei Hengshui Houdian and Zhejiang Huzhou Shanlian every third day of the third lunar month, every family makes dumplings, drinks to celebrate, and commemorates Meng Tian's creation of brushes.

It was one day in 223 B.C., and Meng Tian had hunted a few hares and returned to the barracks. When he saw the rabbit's tail, he thought to himself, "Wouldn't it be better if we could use a rabbit's tail instead of a normal pen for writing?" ”

After returning to the barracks, Meng Tian immediately cut off a rabbit's tail, stuck it in a bamboo pipe, and tried to use it to write, but the rabbit's hair was shiny and did not absorb ink. In a fit of rage, he threw the "rabbit quill" into the pit in front of the door.

A few days later, when Meng Tian walked through the rock pit, he saw the "rabbit quill" in the pit again. Meng Tian picked it up and found that the rabbit's fur was wet, and the color of the coat became whiter and softer. Meng Tian immediately ran back to the barracks and dipped it in the ink, and the rabbit tail quickly absorbed enough ink.

Meng Tian took it and wrote very smoothly. This is the story of the famous Meng Tian pen in history.

For thousands of years, the brush has made outstanding contributions to the creation of China's glorious culture and the promotion of cultural exchanges between China and other countries in the world.