The Bamboo & Plum of Spring is like a study in contrast. While the brush and the middle of the handle are such a pure white that they blend seamlessly into a white background, the black and dark brown of the rest of the handle starkly offset this gentleness.

But functionally, the brush is just about as gentle as can be, made of 100% goat hair that is extremely soft to the touch. In addition to this softness, it is also tremendously absorbent, which makes it excellent at carrying ink, perfect for projects where you’ll be working for long periods of time.

Because of this, the brush makes an excellent tool for both sumi-e painting and calligraphy, and is particularly excellent with Kai Shu, Li Shu and Zhuan Shu scripts.

And that handle is not just three different colors, it is actually made up of different materials. The upper and lower portions are made of buffalo horn, while the middle is a tube carved with the brush’s name (Chun Zhu Mei) and, fittingly, a plum blossom tree and bamboo