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- on the exterior. Brush handles were typically made of bamboo, but other substances, such as ivory, were also used. Fancy handles tended to be avoided by the literati as both overly ostentatious and inhibiting an easy grip. The hair was bound into the handle, or, if a large brush for big brush strokes, bound to the handle with a piece of horn or other substance. The hand holding the brush did not rest on the table and the motion was in the shoulder or wrist. A wrist rest was sometimes use for writing very small characters, when the motion was in the fingers. The brushes, when not in use, were either hung from a frame, which is better for the preservation of the brush, or placed in a container, which is more compact. When laden with ink but not in use, as several brushes of different size might be used in the same work, the brushes were laid on the edge of the inkstone, on a brush rest, or the edge of a brush pointer. The purpose of the latter was to bring the brush to a fine point without adding more ink, as would be the case if the inkstone were used for that purpose.
Cakes of ink were made from ground minerals for coloured inks or soot for black ink, mixed with a binding glue and formed in moulds. Black ink was the most common, with red used for punctuating texts or writing notes, as well as correcting the work of students. Occasionally gold ink was used for special writing, and coloured inks were used for painting in colour. Quality was determined by the ingredients. In order to make usable ink, the ink cakes had to be ground with the resulting fine particles dissolved in water. This was done on a palette, the preference being special stones. The best inkstones were not a matter of decoration but of a surface that would grind ink to the proper consistency, neither too fine nor too coarse, and that would hold water. Usually a water reservoir was carved into the stone.
Other paraphernalia is needed for optimum use of the Four Treasures. A container is required to hold water to be transferred to the inkstone. Another vessel is needed in order to wash the brushes after use. As mentioned above, means for hanging or holding brushes, as well as resting them are also necessary. Sometimes there is a stand for the wet ink cake, and there may be a separate inkstone for the red ink, to keep the colours separate. A traditional studio might be draughty, and often there was a small screen to prevent a draught from drying the ink on the inkstone.
The literati used a number of different seals, preferably cut into an interesting, soft stone by a noted calligrapher or by the literati for himself. There would be seals for the literati�s name, studio names, of which each literati has at least several, seals for offices, library seals, and seals with favourite expressions that could be placed at the start of calligraphy. The sealstones were kept in boxes when not in use, as was the inkstone, to protect them from damage. To use the seals, a special ink was prepared of ground cinnabar, special plant fibre, and certain oils, creating a red, viscous substance which would leave a coating of ink on the stone, when the stone was pressed onto it. The seal ink was kept in a container, usually of porcelain, with a lid to keep the ink from drying out. An ivory or bone spatula was used to occasionally turn the mixture, as the oil tended to settle to the bottom. Finally, paperweights were needed when writing on a roll of paper to keep the ends from rolling up.
All of these appurtenances were chosen from an aesthetic that valued naturalness and antiquity. The older the item the better, and a piece would be especially valued if it were associated with a famous literati of the past. The literati eschewed ostentation, avoiding large objects of ivory, precious metals and other flamboyant substances. Preferred was a subtle decor emphasizing the surface of natural substances, be it stone, wood or bamboo. Design elements tended to be symbols of longevity (pine, crane, certain fungi), artistic
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