Aura Stroke | Master Calligraphy Brush Set | Weasel, Mixed, Hong Mao, Squirrel & Rabbit Hair | For Kai, Xing Script, Painting & Scripture

Welcome to the Aura Stroke Master’s Collection
Discover the perfect brush for your hand. This collection brings together five distinct, professional-grade brushes, each crafted from a specific natural hair for a unique artistic purpose. Understanding their differences is the key to unlocking your potential in calligraphy and painting.

1. The Weasel Hair Brush (狼毫): The Resilient Performer

• Character & Craft: Traditionally known as “Wolf Hair,” this brush is actually made from the tail hair of the northern yellow weasel. This material is celebrated for its exceptional spring, resilience, and ability to maintain a needle-sharp point.

• Artistic Expression: It offers a lively, responsive feedback that allows for precise control over stroke dynamics. The tip snaps back instantly, making it ideal for energetic, rhythmic writing and clean, decisive lines where strength and detail are required.

• Ideal For: The quintessential tool for Running Script (Xingshu) and Regular Script (Kaishu) calligraphy. Its sharpness and bounce make it excellent for the spirited “Two Wangs” style and for adding detailed, defining lines in landscapes or bamboo painting.

2. The Mixed Hair Brush (兼毫): The Balanced Virtuoso

• Character & Craft: A masterful hybrid that combines an inner core of resilient weasel hair with an outer sheath of soft, ink-absorbent goat hair. This architecture creates the perfect synergy of structural support and generous ink capacity.

• Artistic Expression: It is the most versatile and forgiving brush in the collection. The core provides the necessary “bone” structure for clean starts and stops, while the soft exterior holds ample ink for smooth, sustained strokes. It is designed to be responsive yet tolerant.

• Ideal For: The ultimate beginner’s brush and a reliable staple for any studio. Perfect for mastering Regular Script (Kaishu), as well as for Seal Script (Zhuanshu) and Clerical Script (Lishu). Its balance also suits color application in painting.

3. The “Hong Mao” Fine Detail Brush (小红毛): The Delicate Specialist

• Character & Craft: “Hong Mao” translates to “Small Red Hair,” referring to the fine, supple hair from a younger weasel. This brush is engineered for ultra-fine precision and a supremely sharp, responsive point.

• Artistic Expression: It excels in creating hair-thin, consistent lines with incredible control. The tip is incredibly agile, capable of the most delicate twists and turns, making it feel like a natural extension of your hand for intricate work.

• Ideal For: The dedicated tool for miniature Regular Script (Xiaokai) and the meticulous, meditative practice of transcribing sutras and Buddhist scriptures. In painting, it is indispensable for Fine Brushwork (Gongbi) to outline feathers, facial features, and delicate florals.

4. The “Purple Hare” Brush (紫毫): The Precious Classic

• Character & Craft: The most prestigious and resilient of the fine brushes, made from the dark, purple-tinged hair from the spine of a wild hare. Historically treasured, it is noted for its exceptional elasticity, stiffness, and a distinctive, slightly scratchy feedback on paper.

• Artistic Expression: It produces lines with great tension and a unique, dry-brush texture at the edges. Favored by masters for its unyielding precision and the audible “whisper” it makes during use, it demands skill but offers unparalleled expressive sharpness.

• Ideal For: Demanding Small Regular Script (Xiaokai) and classic calligraphy models. Its stiff, sharp point is also perfect for line drawing in Fine Brushwork Painting (Gongbi) and detailed landscape sketching.

5. The Squirrel Hair Brush (灰鼠): The Fluid Painter

• Character & Craft: Made from the tail hair of squirrels, this is the softest and most absorbent natural hair used in brush-making. It is designed to hold a vast reservoir of ink or color and release it in smooth, continuous flows.

• Artistic Expression: This brush is not for defined lines but for expressive washes, gradients, and soft, blended forms. It creates ethereal, atmospheric effects and rich, layered tones by allowing ink to diffuse beautifully on the paper.

• Ideal For: Freehand Style Ink Painting (Xieyi), perfect for capturing the essence of mountains, water, and clouds. Also a premier choice for watercolor artists seeking to create soft washes and fluid, spontaneous compositions.

Your Selection Guide:

• For powerful, controlled calligraphy: Choose Weasel Hair.

• For versatility and learning: Choose Mixed Hair.

• For miniature writing & finest details: Choose “Hong Mao” or the classic “Purple Hare”.

• For expressive ink washes & painting: Choose Squirrel Hair.

A Note on Artisan Craft: Each brush is a product of handcraftsmanship, involving dozens of steps. Minor variations (1-2mm in dimensions) are a natural hallmark of this process, ensuring each tool carries its own unique character while meeting our exacting standards for a perfect tip.