湖笔芳华

Appealing Huzhou ink brush

'毛颖之技甲天下''千万毛中选一毫',文房四宝中,向来有'笔墨纸砚'之序,之所以把笔放在首位,皆因制笔太难。毛笔中的佼佼者'湖笔',即湖州毛笔,素来以制作精良、品质优异而享誉海内外。随着岁月的流淌,难能可贵的是,湖笔制作一直保持着纯手工,俨然已经成为善琏人祖祖辈辈血脉相传的老手艺。

Of the 'Four Treasures of the Study'— the ink brush, ink, paper and stone — there are two old sayings. One is 'Those of Hubi top the nation' and the other is 'Only one can be selected in a million'. The two sayings reflect the fact that of the four, it is making the ink brush that is the hardest. Hubi, the prominent brush made in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, enjoys a global reputation for the sophistication and high-quality of its brushes. The valuable craftsmanship of Hubi has stood the test of time, and been passed on by Shanlian residents for generations.