孟琳

湖筆與徽墨、宣紙、端硯并稱為“文房四寶”，是中華文明光輝燦爛的重要象征之一。湖州市南潯區(qū)善璉鎮(zhèn)是典型的江南小鎮(zhèn)，因產(chǎn)湖筆而聞名，“中國湖筆之都”享譽中外，其湖筆制作技藝已入選國家非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)名錄。善璉小橋流水、石砌河岸，盡顯水鄉(xiāng)風韻，這里幾乎是家家出筆工，人人會制筆……

蒙恬造筆傳千年

毛筆起源甚早，歷史上有蒙恬造筆之說。相傳當年秦朝著名將領(lǐng)蒙恬將軍跟隨秦始皇東巡經(jīng)過善璉，與當?shù)嘏硬废闵徬鄳?。后蒙恬曾居湖州善璉改良毛筆，“用枯木為管，鹿毛為柱，羊毛為被（外衣）”，采兔羊之毫，“納穎于管”，制成后人所稱之“湖筆”。夫妻倆共同制筆，將技藝傳給善璉百姓，于是善璉世代以制筆為業(yè)，奉蒙恬為“筆祖”。當?shù)貛缀跫壹页龉P工，戶戶會制筆。

湖筆被譽為“筆中之冠”，而它真正蜚聲四海，是從元代開始的。

元代以前，我國以宣筆最為有名。南宋時期，湖州是士大夫們棲隱山林的首選之地，他們及附庸文士們書風的流變和潑灑寫意的文人畫影響了毛筆的筆料由以兔毫為主轉(zhuǎn)向以羊毫為主。

元代，宣筆逐漸式微，湖筆取而代之。湖州制筆能工馮應科、沈日新、溫生、楊顯均、陸穎等十余人留名史卷。據(jù)《湖州府志》記載：“筆，名品，最多出歸安善璉村。相傳元時馮應科、陸文寶善制筆，其鄉(xiāng)專習而精之，故湖筆名于世?！?/p>

“湖州馮筆妙無倫，還有能工沈日新。倘遇玉堂揮翰手，不嫌索價如珍珠。”當時人們愿以千金重價求買湖筆，足見其聲譽卓著。

離人文勝地蘇杭都不遠的善璉，享有得天獨厚的地理優(yōu)勢，無論取杭嘉湖一帶的山羊毛做筆尖，還是用余杭一帶的山竹做筆桿，都很便捷，且質(zhì)量有保證。當時在湖州有不少文人墨客都特別鐘意字畫，包括大書法家趙孟在內(nèi)喜歡執(zhí)手湖筆揮斥方遒，也進一步完善了湖筆工藝，使得它更適合書寫、繪畫。

明成祖朱棣遷都北京，文化中心北移。湖筆工匠們駕一葉扁舟，入京售筆。當時主修《永樂大典》的解縉等人，對陸穎、陸文寶、徐原珪、施廷用等人的佳制激賞不已，紛紛賦詩作文加以詠贊。其后，善璉筆工便逐漸散布于大江南北，“湖筆”之名，世代不易。

對有關(guān)文獻記載進行粗略統(tǒng)計，先后開肆外埠的湖筆名店計有：北京戴月軒、賀蓮青、李玉田;上海楊振華、李鼎和、周虎臣、茅春堂;蘇州貝松泉;揚州興散寺;天津虞永和等。

經(jīng)過近千年的延續(xù)，湖筆逐漸成為善璉小鎮(zhèn)的支柱產(chǎn)業(yè)。鎮(zhèn)上幾乎家家戶戶都做毛筆，大都是家庭小作坊的生產(chǎn)類型，女做筆頭，男修筆。

善璉是個小鎮(zhèn)，大量的湖筆都是依靠筆莊銷售。解放前，在全國各大城市都有善璉人經(jīng)營的筆莊，依靠這些筆莊建立的商業(yè)網(wǎng)絡(luò)，湖筆的銷售范圍慢慢擴大，影響也越來越大。

千萬毛中揀一毫

明代謝在杭在《西吳枝乘》一書中稱贊湖筆“毛穎之技甲天下”，這也是對湖筆制作技藝最高的贊譽。

湖筆又稱“湖穎”，這也是它的最大特點。所謂“穎”，就是指筆頭尖端有一段整齊而透明的鋒穎，業(yè)內(nèi)人稱之為“黑子”。“黑子”的深淺，就是鋒穎的長短，是用上等山羊毛經(jīng)過浸、拔、并、梳、連、合等近百道工序精心制成。

湖筆選料嚴格，傳統(tǒng)上只擇取杭嘉湖一帶所產(chǎn)的優(yōu)質(zhì)山羊毛，因為這一帶山羊在冬季吃含高蛋白的桑葉，鋒嫩質(zhì)凈。山羊毛選用的是頸、腋下不易與外部磨擦的部位的毛，所取毫料須陳宿多曬，除去污垢，再浸于水中分類組合。

一頭健壯的山羊身上有三兩筆料，有鋒穎的只有六錢。一支湖筆，筆頭上的每一根具有鋒穎的毛都是從無數(shù)粗細、長短、軟硬、曲直、圓扁的羊毛中挑選出來的，揀毛工人能把筆料按照等級分出“細光鋒”“粗光鋒”“黃尖鋒”“白尖鋒”等40多個品種，分別用在不同筆上。每個品種之下再分出若干小類，其精細程度，絲毫不亞于繡花。白居易就曾以“千萬毛中揀一毫”和“毫雖輕，功甚重”來形容制筆技藝的精細和復雜，這一說法絕非夸張。

提起湖筆的制作工藝，就不得不去善璉湖筆廠轉(zhuǎn)轉(zhuǎn)。沿著鎮(zhèn)上的古街往南走，到盡頭看到一個古色古香的牌樓，便是善璉湖筆廠。

湖筆廠的原址是當?shù)厝思o念蒙恬的蒙公祠。1956年4月，當?shù)剞k起善璉湖筆生產(chǎn)合作社，1959年創(chuàng)建善璉湖筆廠。走進廠區(qū)，院子里有一尊雙羊的雕塑，原型就是善璉湖筆廠的雙羊商標，這也成為上乘湖筆的標志。

如今的善璉湖筆廠，除了生產(chǎn)湖筆外，更成為一個湖筆展示區(qū)——各個工作環(huán)節(jié)都有明確的分區(qū)，引導參觀者了解從筆料區(qū)分、筆頭制作、裝套、擇筆到刻字等主要環(huán)節(jié)。

出身湖筆世家的善璉湖筆廠廠長馬志良說道：“制筆是一件非?？菰镉謬栏竦幕?，做筆的人每天守著自己的一道工序，一干就是一輩子?！?/p>

湖筆在千百年的傳承中始終保存著傳統(tǒng)手工制作技藝。一支湖筆，要經(jīng)過筆料、水盆、結(jié)頭、蒲墩、裝套、鑲嵌、擇筆、刻字等八大步驟128道工序才能完成，各部分都要求精工細作，制筆師傅一坐往往就是一整天。

“擇筆”是湖筆制作工藝中非常關(guān)鍵的一環(huán)?？匆恢P好壞，關(guān)鍵就是看毛筆的“鋒穎”。筆工憑借眼力精挑細選，剔除雜毛，在善璉湖筆廠的擇筆車間，一個個水盆前，筆工們靠著一把小刀，將毛一根一根地梳理開來，放在接頭管上，把折毛、病毛、無鋒的毛都剔除。對半成品雜毛的剔除，保留整齊的“鋒穎”，做到“光、白、嚴、直”四大要求，才能稱得上是一支好湖筆。這樣的筆頭富有彈性又不會分散開叉，書寫起來才會行云流水，得心應手。

善璉湖筆的制作工藝，一直是以“家庭傳承”“師徒傳承”的方式沿襲。每一種湖筆從原料、造型到做法，經(jīng)過老師傅們世世代代傳授，早就已經(jīng)固定下來，形成精細而熟練的工序分工。

善璉湖筆廠的制筆師傅制筆工齡平均有30年。許學建從20歲開始拜師擇筆，40年來，他右手握揀筆刀的大拇指上生了厚厚一層老繭。許師傅刀工快、準，筆頭中每一根雜毛都逃不過他的眼睛，即便如此，每完成一道工序他都會仔細檢查。正是這樣的匠心，才讓湖筆制作工藝這個有兩百多年歷史的非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)在時光的打磨下，依舊熠熠生輝。endprint

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湖筆文化產(chǎn)業(yè)園。

“一部書畫史，半部在湖州”。文房四寶之首的湖筆，還積淀著千百年制筆業(yè)與書畫史的文化傳承。

湖筆盛名歷經(jīng)千百年而不衰，歷代書畫家功不可沒。湖州才子迭出、文風不絕。著名書法家王羲之、王獻之、顏真卿、米芾、蘇軾、王十朋等都曾為官或寓居湖州，更有曹不興、張僧繇、貝義淵、朱審、釋高閑、徐表仁、燕文貴等湖籍書畫俊才。他們的書畫活動，帶動了湖州制筆業(yè)的興起。

從湖筆成名始，歷代筆工都十分注重與知名文人、書畫家的聯(lián)絡(luò)溝通，一則得以吸納真言改良筆品，二則可借顯達文人的舉薦而擴大影響。

湖筆文化館里的蒙恬和卜。爭蓮銅像。

元末湖州文人沈夢麟有詩云：“吳興閣老松雪翁，書畫直與鐘王同。當時筆家爭效技，陸穎一出超群工?！惫P工們知道若能得到趙孟的垂青，則必會聲名鵲起而沽得善價，于是紛紛向趙孟提供制作精良的毛筆。據(jù)《紫桃軒又綴》記載，趙孟將筆頭中最好的精豪取出收藏，令湖筆之名不脛而走。

據(jù)《湖州府志》記載：“馮應科，歸安人，善制筆，妙絕天下，時人稱趙子昂字、錢舜舉畫、馮應科筆為吳興三絕?！笨梢姡谠P工甚至可以和當時頂尖的書畫大家齊名。

到了近代，文學家郭沫若同湖筆結(jié)下了不解之緣。他對狼毫作柱，羊毫作被的“白云筆”頗為喜愛，曾賦詩贊湖筆。

善璉制筆能人輩出，一個小鎮(zhèn)與書畫界的親密關(guān)系，就這樣在日久經(jīng)年的交往中養(yǎng)成了。直到現(xiàn)在，善璉鎮(zhèn)著名的湖筆一條街上，多數(shù)筆莊經(jīng)營者仍舊保持與書畫家的密切聯(lián)系。四德筆房的莊主慎鶴云對筆者說：我與湖筆結(jié)緣30多年，接待了數(shù)不清的書畫家，他們從各地慕名而來，就為看一眼湖筆的制作過程。

慎鶴云雖不會寫毛筆字，卻能精準地分辨出各種類型的毛筆分別適應的字體。慎鶴云有幾個相熟的書法家朋友，每年都會來家中小住，試筆，作畫。一來二去，熟悉了會留下一些墨寶。因而，慎鶴云筆房里的收藏不乏名家之作。

“湖筆文化要想發(fā)揚光大，光靠湖筆本身肯定不夠?！鄙鼹Q云說，善璉最大的資本就是書畫家資源，“四德筆房”就準備跟幾個相熟的書法家合作，開辦工作室作為書畫家展示作品的場所，匯聚一批書畫家，形成藝術(shù)品交易氛圍。

“湖筆之都”待復興

技術(shù)的發(fā)展、時代的演進，為傳統(tǒng)文化和傳統(tǒng)技藝帶來新的挑戰(zhàn)和機遇。元代以來無可爭議的“湖筆之都”，興盛數(shù)百年的制筆業(yè)，如何依托中國傳統(tǒng)書法和繪畫的厚重積淀走出低谷？

湖州從2002年起就開始舉辦大型的湖筆文化節(jié)，兩年一屆，每次都傾城而動。

去年6月，作為浙江首批省級特色小鎮(zhèn)之一的“湖筆小鎮(zhèn)”花落善璉，外界矚目的目光，正喚醒沉睡的古鎮(zhèn)。湖筆，這一“努力再做500年”的“老字號”，也讓我們清晰地看到傳統(tǒng)技藝在今天何以賡續(xù)綿延、生生不息。

現(xiàn)在，正在建設(shè)中的湖筆小鎮(zhèn)，已經(jīng)初步勾勒出了湖筆的未來。目前，游客集散中心、古鎮(zhèn)風貌綜合改造提升項目、湖筆工坊等重點特色項目均有序推進建設(shè)，寫生基地·小院項目一期基本完工，湖筆一條街改造提升工程即將竣工驗收，湖筆工坊主體工程已經(jīng)結(jié)頂……此外，湖筆文化產(chǎn)業(yè)園的建設(shè)也將啟動，該產(chǎn)業(yè)園將重點引進制筆相關(guān)產(chǎn)業(yè)、文化用品、文創(chuàng)產(chǎn)業(yè)等項目，拓展湖筆文化產(chǎn)業(yè)鏈。

湖筆文化館里展示的湖筆。

善璉發(fā)展文化創(chuàng)意產(chǎn)業(yè)，天時地利人和。湖筆小鎮(zhèn)創(chuàng)建辦主任楊偉強告訴筆者，小鎮(zhèn)正在以4A級景區(qū)創(chuàng)建標準逐步完善各項軟硬件，全面提升旅游承載能力和服務能力。湖筆小鎮(zhèn)總投資30億元，近兩年，善璉在大產(chǎn)業(yè)、大項目頻頻發(fā)力建設(shè)湖筆小鎮(zhèn)的同時，也在不斷強化政策支持，湖筆產(chǎn)業(yè)化路子越走越寬。

古鎮(zhèn)的嬗變，引起越來越多的人的關(guān)注。數(shù)據(jù)統(tǒng)計顯示，近兩年到善璉旅游的游客數(shù)量以每年20%的速度增長。去年達到42.5萬人次。

湖筆早已是湖州的文化名片之一，它承載著菰城過去的輝煌，也將延續(xù)湖州未來的精彩。

（本文攝影：沈勇強）

A Fabulous Touch： Nanxun Huzhou Ink Brush Town

By Meng Lin

Huzhou Ink Brush is hailed by the Chinese literati as one of the ‘four treasures of the study， together with ink stick， ink slab and rice paper produced by artisans in Anhui Province. The small town of Shanlian， in Nanxun District， Huzhou in northern Zhejiang Province， teems with ink brush workshops and factories. The town produces not only the worlds finest ink pens but also generations of ink pen artisans who have contributed enormously to the glorious calligraphy history of China. The craftsmanship now ranks among the national cultural heritages.endprint

Legend has it that when passing Shanlian， Meng Tian， a famous general living in the Qin Dynasty （221-207BC）， fell in love with a girl. They later lived in the town for many years and taught the brush-making skills to the locals.

The brush pen craftsmanship in Shanlian dates back to about 2，000 years ago， as documented clearly by the written in the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）. The industry gained prominence in the Song （960-1279） and Yuan （1279-1368） period， with the ink brushes produced in Shanlian Town considered the finest Chinese ink brushes. The heyday of the ‘made in Huzhou ink brush started from the Yuan Dynasty.

The brush pens made in Shanlian are collectively called Shanlian Hubi （‘hubi， or ‘huying， is a term dedicated to the Huzhou ink brush）. ‘Hubi is regarded as the best Chinese ink brush for its great variety and choice materials used in the highly sophisticated craftsmanship.

A handy tool makes a handy man， as an old Chinese saying goes. The technical sophistication of this traditional Chinese writing implement has never weakened or been simplified by modernity. From the selection of the material to make the body of the brush to the crafting of the tip and hair all the way down to the final touches， every small step in the making of a fine ink pen takes a great deal of skills and attention to the minutest details.

One of the steps is to remove the hair strays in order to make the best possible front of the hair part that can produce the required thickness of line. The step will lead to the elimination of many defective pieces from the lot. At the Huzhou ink brush factories it takes at least many years of apprenticeship to master the skills that cover the entire procedure， and such a tradition has been the only learning course used by the ‘hubi masters in Huzhou to impart the workmanship.

The ‘hubi artisans in Shanlian devote their entire lifetime to this exquisite craftsmanship and its inheritance. It is their concentration and devotion that brings magic into every ink brush they make and joy to calligraphy lovers in the world.

Of the 12 steps in making a Huzhou ink brush， the selection of the materials， ‘water basin， and ‘trimming are the three most sophisticated ones. The entire process， however， breaks down to more than 120 smaller steps that ensure the best possible quality of the final products.

Take the ‘yanghao category for example. The tradition is to take the hair of the goats cultivated in the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou region where they are pen-reared and feed on a high-protein diet. The clean and pure quality of the hair is considered a top-grade material to make ‘hubi. The ‘yanghao variety comes in as many as 40 sub-categories and many bifurcations classified by the thickness of the hair.endprint

The stalk of the ‘hubi is usually made of a special bamboo variety grown in the Lingfeng area in the western Tianmu Mountain. Colloquially known as ‘chicken feather bamboo， it is considered an ideal material to make ink brushes because it has exceptionally straight culms and less nodes and comparatively less cavity inside.

‘Water basin is a key step of the highest sophistication. Workers use special combs to rinse the degreased hair in water basins to make razor-shaped hair parts of ranging colors， thickness and hardness. The step also includes the first stage of wiping out defective hair by laying out the ‘razors in clean water.

One of the last steps of the procedure， called ‘trimming， is to find defects in the hair part of the half-finished brushes. The brush maker detects the ‘strays and wipe them out from the dry hair laid out against the natural sunlight. The step also requires a special sitting posture that faces slightly eastwards to ensure the fine hair tips are totally exposed to the light.

A galaxy of cultural notables， painters and calligraphers， many of which ranked among Chinas most prominent， also contributed greatly to the unique ink brush culture of Shanlian Town and the Huzhou area is also contributed.

Huzhou Ink Brush Festival has been held in the town biennially since 2002. The ink brush tradition of Shanlian has become a significant cultural calling card of Huzhou， drawing in 425，000 tourists in 2016.endprint