The writing brush, ink-slab (solidified ink), inkstone and paper are "the four treasures of a Chinese scholar." They are the fountainheads of letters and articles, scrolls and paintings. But as a result of industrialization, superior brushes, ink-slabs, inkstones and even good paper for painting are hard to find on the market--because modern manufacturers resort to machines for quick, cheap, mass production.

The economic boom does, however, provide a boon for revival of traditional Chinese arts, and this, in turn, creates even greater pressure for the supply of good brushes and ink-slabs.

Li Chih-jen, whose family came from Fukien Province, was born in Taipei in 1955 and has become a pioneer in the manufacture of quality writing brushes and ink-slabs. Li sailed smoothly through all his schools and examinations and graduated in mathematics from National Central University.

A few years ago when President Chiang Ching-kuo was sworn in, Li presented to the President a set of ink-slabs utilizing the imperial formula of the Manchu Dynasty. Before he presented the gift, he invited a noted calligrapher, Chuang Yen, to appraise his product. Chuang, who is an expert of the National Palace Museum and familiar with the writing brushes and ink-slabs of China's imperial past, became Li's calligraphy teacher.

The success strengthened Li's drive to make high-quality brushes. He studied the Chinese classics in an effort to find guidelines. He tested a number of old brushes to compare the composition of their hairs with the characteristics of modern brushes, and has developed a wide range of writing brushes for specific purposes. One of his new brushes is designated "Swimming Dragon" to indicate its fluid facility.

The making of Chinese writing brushes is a subtle craft, Li says, much like fashioning a fine house. A skilled worker can make the floor smooth and the walls perpendicular, but he cannot create a masterful design without help from a quality architect.

If we want a strong and facile brush, we should use strong hairs, such as rabbit whiskers, hairs from an ox's ear and sable hairs, as materials for, say, three inner tiers, and cover them with a fourth and fifth tier of weasel hairs.

If we want to make the brush even stronger and more resilient, we should use pig bristles for the first tier, rabbit whiskers for the second tier, ox-ear hairs for the fourth and fifth tiers and fox hairs for the outer tier. The composition of these tiers determines the characteristics of the writing brush.

On the Chinese mainland, the hairs are treated with lime to make them easier to handle, but lime tends to erode the hair surfaces and weaken the brush's resilience.

Undeniably, the Chinese mainland is still the most widely respected production center for traditional writing brushes. But since the "great cultural revolution," the craft of making brushes has actually declined and has never been revived. Many experienced craftsmen died, and a new generation was never trained to succeed them. As a result, more and more shoddy brushes are made and exported.

Japan painstakingly learned from China the craft of making writing brushes. After the war, Japan paid great attention to the development of calligraphy, and this stimulated the production of good writing brushes. However, the Japanese craft remains inferior to Chinese attainments. The hairs of a Japan-made brush do not match properly; the tip is uneven. The brush tends to split during writing and, because of this shortcoming, is no good for writing small characters.

Now Li Chih-jen's successes have brought Taiwan to the summit of the writing brush industry. The biggest headache of past brush models was the fall of hairs and the loosening of the brush from its handle. Li solved these problems by applying a special adhesive to the base of the brush and by replacing the resin used for fixing the brush to the socket, with a new waterproof chemical glue. Li made high quality brushes more beautiful by using horn for the socket, or as a decoration at the top of the bamboo handle.

Good ink-slabs, Li said, depend on a technique for grinding the ingredients into an extra-fine powder. An ink-slab made of extremely fine ingredients provides ink that can produce smooth and glossy strokes. Li uses special machinery to replace human labor, creating slabs of so fine a texture that the grain of the slick wooden mold used for shaping is clearly visible on the surface of the product.

As production increased, Li opened a number of "cultural service centers" in smaller towns to offer his products at close-to-cost prices. He also opened a gallery where calligraphers and painters may exhibit their works free of charge.

Not long ago, Li took more than a hundred different brushes and ink-slabs to Japan for exhibit at the Osaka Fair. He drew wide Japanese attention and a large number of orders. Some Japanese businessmen even followed him to Taipei to seek the rights to represent him in Japan.

[Picture Caption]

1. The writing brush cannot be held in the same way as a pen, and must be kept upright. 2. Li Chih-jen has improved writing brushes used in Taiwan through scientific study. 3. A writing brush, an ink-slab, an inkstone and paper are valued as the "four treasures" in the studies of a traditional Chinese man of letters.

1. Foreigners buy writing brushes at a Taipei shop. 2.3. & 4. Brushes designed by Li Chih-jen.

Above: Noted calligraphers at Li Chih-jen's shop watch writing brushes being made. Below: A painting class under way in Li's shop.

Li Chih-jen has improved writing brushes used in Taiwan through scientific study.

A writing brush, an ink-slab, an inkstone and paper are valued as the "four treasures" in the studies of a traditional Chinese man of letters.

Foreigners buy writing brushes at a Taipei shop.

Brushes designed by Li Chih-jen.

Brushes designed by Li Chih-jen.

Brushes designed by Li Chih-jen.

Noted calligraphers at Li Chih-jen's shop watch writing brushes being made.

painting class under way in Li's shop.