Xuan writing brush or Xuanbi (simplified Chinese: 宣笔; traditional Chinese: 宣筆; pinyin: Xuān Bǐ), is a type of ink brush made in Anhui Province, China. Xuan brushes are often mentioned together with the famous Xuan paper - a kind of writing paper (rice-paper).
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History
The ink brushes are normally made in Jingxian County (currently Jing County) of Anhui Province. In ancient times, Jingxian County was under the jurisdiction of Xuanzhou Prefecture (宣州府; Xuān-Zhōu Fǔ; currently Xuancheng), so its name bears the character Xuan (Xuān).
The Xuan brushes gained popularity in Jin Dynasty (256-420) among classic scholars, governmental officials, calligraphists and painters.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and later Song Dynasty (960-1279), Xuanzhou Prefecture became a production and manufacture center for ink brush pens in China, together with Huzhou in Zhejiang province. During and after Tang Dynasty, Xuan writing brushes had been continuously listed as a local tribute to the Chinese emperors and their royal courts.
The brush
The most famous Xuan ink brushes are elaborately made of brownish rabbit hair. Xuan brushes are among the most expensive brushes and one of the four most famous brush types in China.