Quill pens are made from the feathers of large birds. In the past, most of them were taken from the wings of geese. After degreasing and hardening, the pen tips could be sharpened. Before the invention of dip pens, fountain pens and ballpoint pens with metal nibs in the West, quills were the main writing tools, and they had to be dipped in ink before writing. Hand-cut quills are the tool of choice for writing Western calligraphy, producing different strokes and toughness than metal pens. The quill barrel can absorb ink and provide continuous water supply due to capillary action when writing.
Before the Middle Ages, reed pens were mostly used for writing, but later they were gradually replaced by quill pens. The writing materials were parchment, papyrus (or paper).
Quills became popular around 700 AD. The strongest quills are mostly taken from the five outermost feathers of the wings of birds. The feathers on the left wing are better because they grow The angle is more in line with the pen holding habits of right-handed writing users. In addition to goose, quills made of swan feathers are rare and expensive; if you want to write fine handwriting, crow feathers are the best, followed by eagles, owls, turkeys, etc.
There are various ways to make the nib of a quill pen, depending on the purpose of writing. For example, for bold characters, it is made by cutting it at a larger angle. When writing small letters and other small characters, they are sharpened, just like today's fountain pens are divided into M, F, B, etc. But quills are quite easy to wear, which also creates some of the writing charm of Western calligraphy.
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Europe
Main article: Illuminated manuscripts
The earliest used in Europe It was papyrus introduced from Egypt. Parchment was used for a long time after that, and reed pens were replaced by quill pens. Booklets appeared in the 3rd and 4th centuries, and completely replaced scrolls in the 5th century.
In ancient Greece and Rome, writers did not write the books themselves, but had secretaries write for them.
In the Middle Ages, a large number of priests became full-time copyists. The contents of the magnificent illuminated manuscripts are mostly the Bible, written with quills on parchment, and decorated with exquisite miniature paintings. It was first copied in Ireland and England from the 4th to 6th centuries. There were a large number of copies during the Carolingian Renaissance and the Renaissance. These well-designed manuscripts had a great influence on the book binding design and font design of later generations. Big impact. His meticulous and rigorous spirit is also awe-inspiring. The parchment used in royal manuscripts was often dyed purple or black, coated with gold leaf, and written with gold or silver ink.
At the end of the 11th century, with the establishment of the first universities, handwritten books moved from the clergy to the private sector.
China’s printing technology was only spread to the West in the 14th century.
In Western Europe, it refers to the art of writing beautifully and clearly, mainly associated with chroniclers, calligraphers, and book transcribers in medieval European countries, and then with courts and government departments. Documentation. The writing tools and materials of these people were parchment, plain paper, ink and quills. /452786543/blog/1196228762