Dublin Core
Title
Goat Hair Brush (羊毫筆）
Subject
Chinese Calligraphy
Northern and Southern Dynasties (南北朝）
Utensils
Writing Tools
Brush
Soft Brush
Description
A brush that is made with goat hair, which is softer and has less flexibility. Goat hair brushes usually absorb ink easily and are used to write rounded and thick words. This kind of brush is also more long-lasting compared to other types of harder brushes.
Goat hair brushes were said to origin from the Northern and Southern Dynasties and were made out of a goat's tail or chin hair. Goat hair brushes were not properly used until the Southern Song Dynasty, and were not popularised until the Qing Dynasty. This is because ancient calligraphers preferred a strong and powerful stroke, while brushes made out of goat hair were too soft to achieve this. It wasn't until the Qing Dynasty where people valued more rounded and subtle styles did the goat hair brush come into wide use.
Goat hair brushes were said to origin from the Northern and Southern Dynasties and were made out of a goat's tail or chin hair. Goat hair brushes were not properly used until the Southern Song Dynasty, and were not popularised until the Qing Dynasty. This is because ancient calligraphers preferred a strong and powerful stroke, while brushes made out of goat hair were too soft to achieve this. It wasn't until the Qing Dynasty where people valued more rounded and subtle styles did the goat hair brush come into wide use.
Date
Northern and Southern Dynasties (南北朝）
Relation
Mixed Hair Brush (兼毫筆）
Weasel Hair Brush (狼毫筆）
Format
Goat Hair
Jade
Plastic
Bamboo
Type
Physical Object
Identifier
goalhairbrush
Instructional Method
When using a new brush, use a finger to softly rub the tip of the brush to separate the bristles. Soak 3/4 of the brush in warm water for 3-5 minutes.
Before starting to write, wet the brush with water, and dry it with some paper, then hang it on a brush holder to dry for about 7-10 minutes.
Make sure that the brush is not completely dry when writing, leave some moisture in it to make sure it mixes well with the ink.
After using the brush, wash it immediately with water and tidy the bristles with the current of the water. Make sure not to use soap as it contains chemicals which can damage the brush. It is important to wash the brush immediately as the ink can dry, making it difficult to wash it off later, and damaging the brush.
After washing the brush and drying it, hang it on a brush holder within a dry environment, avoiding the sun's direct contact.
When opening a new brush, the brush cap that comes along with it can be disposed and should not be reused when storing the brush. This is because putting the cap back on the brush can damage the bristles on the brush.
Item Relations
| This Item | Relation | Item: Weasel Hair Brush (狼毫筆） |
| This Item | Relation | Item: Mixed Hair Brush (兼毫筆） |