介绍:
Paper-making is one of the four great inventions of China, along with gunpowder, the compass, and printing. Xuan paper is particularly well known for these specific qualities, and it should have quality, having been made for a millennium and a half.
Xuan paper is known for its strength, smooth surface, clean texture, and resistance to creasing and mould. Its ability to absorb water and moisten ink has made it popular for Chinese calligraphy, painting and book printing. The majority of ancient Chinese books and paintings by famous painters that survive today have been preserved on Xuan paper.
The material that Xuan paper uses has close links with the geography of Jing County in east China&`&s Anhui Province. The unique water quality and mild climate are two of the key ingredients of Xuan paper production. The locally grown sandalwood is one of the main materials used to make it.
Huang Fei-song is an expert on Xuan paper-making.
"Microfibers are abundant in sandalwood bark, which can lead to better damping properties in Xuan paper. Mixed with rice straws grown out of the local tidelands that have fewer impurities, these two ingredients can help make the paper appear very white and slow down its decay. "
Xuan paper was first mentioned in ancient Chinese books like Notes of Past Famous Paintings and the New Book of Tang. It was originally produced in the Tang Dynasty in Jing County.
Because Jing County was called Xuan at that time, the paper was named after it. The craft of making this particular paper was fully developed in the Ming Dynasty, when an increasing number of varieties were produced. In the Qing Dynasty, the paper industry grew rapidly.
The traditional production process is extremely demanding, with more than a hundred steps to it -- soaking, washing, fermenting, bleaching, pulping, sunning and cutting, and all of these processes can take more than two years to complete. The production methods have been passed down for generations and are now followed by strict artisans working to keep the craft alive.
Xing Chun-rong, who has been making Xuan paper for more than 40 years, tells us more.
"The tree bark needs to be steamed and bleached before it is dried in the sun. Then pulp is produced, by pulverizing the bark with large, wooden hammers. Tree bark is beaten repeatedly until it is broken down into a malleable base with which the paper can be made."
The pulp is then washed in water to further break it down into fibres that can be used. This process is still carried out by hand and is extremely laborious. Workers pull a bamboo stick attached to a bag containing the pulp back and forth through water. The water creates a drag force which pulls apart the fibres.
The pulp is then mixed into water to make a soupy, porridge-like mixture. A sheet of bamboo allows water to wash through while keeping the pulp on top. The worker then slides the bamboo sheet through the water and tilts it in such a way that the mixture runs down the sheet and back into the mixture, leaving an even coating of pulp on the sheet as the water drains through.
The sheets are then peeled off the bamboo and go into the next process of drying. This process is also a rough one, as Xing Chun-rong says the workplace temperature can reach 40 degrees Celsius.
"The sheets will be placed onto a heated stone wall to remove any remaining moisture and harden the pulp sheets into paper. To dry the paper, the heated wall must be more than 70 degrees Celsius in temperature. So, you can imagine how scorchingly hot it is in summer."
Its different production methods give Xuan paper three different versions --raw, or Shengxuan（生宣）, semi-raw, or Banshuxuan（半熟宣）, and ripe, Shuxuan（熟宣）.
Raw paper is mostly made of wood fibre and because it is not specially processed it has a very good ability to absorb water. This makes raw paper most suitable for ink painting and calligraphy. Its slightly uneven surface assists the brush perfectly in spreading the ink. Raw paper is perfect for experts and more skilled artists, as slow brush movement or any hesitation will cause the ink to blur.
The ripe Xuan paper is smeared on by potash alum during its production. This kind of paper does not absorb water easily and is stiff to the touch. It has more of a smooth surface that allows ink to "float" before it is absorbed slowly. It is suitable for precision writing or painting. The main ingredient of the ripened paper is bamboo fibres, which make the ink much less absorbent because of the rigidity of the tissue.
The semi-raw paper is half-processed and has a neutral character that absorbs water but does not easily degrade.
Xuan paper, with its properties of high saturation capacity and durability, is the perfect medium for conveying the spirit of Chinese calligraphy and painting. And that&`&s why it has gained a reputation as being "the king of all paper", and can be stored for a thousand years without its colour fading. Xing is one calligrapher who prefers Xuan paper over all other types of paper for his works.
"Xuan paper is best for the artistic expression of Chinese ink-wash painting and calligraphy. Its texture is pure, fine and soft, highly water absorbent, stretchy, age resistant and moth resistant. The ink writes even, clean lines, styled with varying thicknesses and shades, allowing for a clear arrangement to achieve the desired artistic effect."
Over the years, Xuan Paper has become an essential part of Chinese culture, ranking on a par with the other three treasures of study—the ink, brushes and ink-stone. Because of its long history and irreplaceable status within the culture of Chinese painting and calligraphy, Xuan paper was recognized as one of China&`&s national intangible cultural heritages in 2006.
