bunbou shihou　文房四宝

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

Also bunbou shigan 文房四玩, bunbou shiyuu 文房四友, and bunbou shikou 文房四候. Lit. the four treasures of the Chinese scholar's study. Painting and calligraphy instruments that include: 1) the brush, fude 筆, originating in China in the 3-2 millennium BC;　2) ink *sumi 墨, made of a mixture of lampblack and glue;　3) inkstone *suzuri 硯, commonly made of stone, clay tile, jade, ceramic or precious metals, and used for grinding ink;　4) paper, kami 紙, invented in China in the 1c CE, became favored over silk because of its variety of texture and low cost. Papermaking techniques were transmitted to Japan in the 8c. (see *washi 和紙). Great care was taken in the production of these four tools which reached the height of their refinement in China in the 10-11c. The quality of each of the four treasures was of utmost importance to the literates who chose his tools with loving care. The connection that developed between the scholar and his accouterments led the ancients to claim that the true character of the author was revealed in his brush strokes.

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(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。