Xuan writing brush
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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 used and mentioned together with Xuan paper, a kind of writing rice-paper.[1]
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 during the Jin dynasty (256–420) among classic scholars, governmental officials, calligraphists, and painters.[2]
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.