"Yūshin Fude," also known as the "Makifude," is a traditional Japanese brush made by wrapping bristles with washi paper and then adding a top layer of fine bristles.
These brushes are known for their resilience, bounce-back, and also fine and thick lines. The history of brushes in Japan dates back to the early Nara period when they were imported from China as cultural exchanges. It was during the time of Emperor Saga in the early 9th century (around 812 AD) that the Buddhist monk Kūkai, also known as Kōbō Daishi, traveled to Tang Dynasty China to learn brush-making techniques. Upon his return to Japan, he passed on this knowledge to make the beginning of brush-making in Japan.
These brushes not only symbolize the culture of the Nara period but also serve as a treasure trove of cultural artifacts representing the world culture of the 8th century. The oldest brushes in Japan can be found in the Shōsōin, a repository associated with the Tōdai-ji Temple, dating back to the Nara period (8th century). These brushes are of the wrapped brush type and are used for accurate script writing and copying of sutras. Over time, improvements were made to adapt them for Japanese phonetic scripts and harmonious writing styles during the Heian period. These brushes, known as "Yūshin Fude" or "wrapped core brushes," were highly valued until the end of the Edo period.
While paper-wrapped brushes were also found in China, this tradition ceased around the 9th century. The Hankeido, which continues to produce wrapped brushes today, is the only one preserving this tradition worldwide. Among the various wrapped brushes they offer, you can find some of the representative ones, such as the "Jakutō-style" (Sparrow's Head) brush and the "Tempyō-Fude" (Tang Dynasty Style) brush, both of which come in beautiful paulownia wood boxes, as well as the "Ryūtō-maki Fude" (Dragon Paulownia Wrap Brush). These brushes are now available in the rimpamura online shop.
