Houdian writing brush
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Houdian writing brush or Houdian-Maobi (simplified Chinese: 侯店毛笔; traditional Chinese: 侯店毛筆; pinyin: Hóu-Diàn Máo-Bǐ; "Máo-Bǐ" here means "ink brush"), is a famous kind of ink brushes in China. Along with Huzhou ink brushes, Xuan writing brushes, and Daiyuexuan writing brushes, Houdian ink brushes are among the four most famous.[1]
Houdian is a small village in Hubei Province.[citation needed] The activities of manufacturing and producing ink brushes already started in the Ming dynasty. The earliest historic record can be traced back to 1404.[1]
In the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Houdian ink brushes were largely flourished, especially during the Guangxu era.[1]
The brushes
Houdian brushes have more than 270 different kinds in total. In history, it was more used in traditional Chinese paintings, especially in shan shui paintings.