Ink brush maker Chen Yao-wen is endeavoring to preserve the traditional craft.
While most scholars abandoned ink brushes long ago, they remain firmly at the center of 65-year-old Chen Yao-wen’s (陳耀文) daily life. In addition to being one of the few craftspeople still making the traditional pens by hand, Chen has been advising National Palace Museum in Taipei City on how to maintain and restore its collection since 1990.
Chen started making the writing implements at age 8. While the structure is simple, merely a brush and handle, the selection of each material is a more complex matter, he said. The tip is most often made from weasel tail, goat hair or rabbit fur, although the hair, tail or even beard of most mammals can be used. Each has its own characteristics. Rabbit, for example, is firm but not very durable. When using weasel tail, the middle section is favored because it is more elastic.
While bamboo is the most popular choice for fashioning the handle, there are alternatives. Wealthy scribes, for instance, would often own ink brushes with shafts made from precious metals or jade.
Having produced brush pens for more than half a century, Chen recognizes that his craft is now languishing. So, on occasion, he organizes do-it-yourself classes hoping to foster people’s interest in preserving the art.
—by Jim Hwang
Craftsperson Chen Yao-wen demonstrates how each stage of making an ink brush—selecting, sorting, aligning and tying the tip—is crucial to its quality.
After attaching the tip, the handle is carved with the buyer’s or maker’s name, thus completing the process of making a brush pen.
Ink brushes come in various sizes and materials to satisfy different purposes such as calligraphy and painting.
Students at Chen’s do-it-yourself class learn how to fashion ink brushes. He hopes that his hands-on lessons will get more people interested in the craft.
Chen’s creative twists on the traditional brush employ gourds (left) and liquor bottles (right) as handles. (Photos courtesy of Chen Yao-wen)