What is the pen washing made of?

In the past, when writing with a brush, it was necessary to put a bowl of clear water on the desk, adjust the depth of ink, and clean the tip of the pen after use, so there appeared a vessel specially used for washing pens and moistening ink, which is washing pens. For more than 1000 years, brush has been used as a tool for writing and painting. Brush washing has developed with the progress of society and finally condensed into a part of writing room culture-brush washing art.

People who don't understand the study culture may say: Just take a cup or bowl, while the ancient literati who were fascinated by Yu Wenya and his taste, together with craftsmen, devoted themselves to developing materials and techniques for washing pens. At the beginning, scrubbing was mostly scouring. Later, porcelain-making technology was widely used, and porcelain brushing gradually became the mainstream. With the popularity of pen washing from literati to ordinary people, some celebrities or wealthy people began to pursue high-end utensils with exquisite production and exquisite shape. Rare and precious materials such as jade, agate, ivory and rhinoceros horn are used for scrubbing, and the works of famous sculptors have become the object of contention.

As far as the shape of washing pen is concerned, the short and flat bowl shape is the most common shape. This is probably because the water container needs to be stable: the short flat device has a low center of gravity, while the bowl shape can effectively avoid water splashing. In addition, it is a consistent practice of artistic innovation to sacrifice some performances for the beauty of modeling. As a result, rectangular washing, sunflower washing and all kinds of utensils are colorful, and the artistic appreciation value of pen washing has gradually emerged, which has coexisted with practicality for hundreds of years.

Now, except in the field of calligraphy and painting, the water-retaining function of brush washing has gone forever with the fading out of brush. Many post-90s people don't even know what pen washing is and mistake bowls for ashtrays. However, in the art market, pen washing is loved by museums and collectors because of its historical and cultural value and artistic appreciation value.