To the Chinese scholar, the preparation for recording his thought was as important as the execution. On his desk lay the Four Treasures, the symbols of his calling: paper, brushes, inkslab and ink, so arranged as to inspire the best of his talent. His finely ground and watered ink was the medium for transmitting his message, his brush the conduit through which his spirit flowed on to carefully chosen paper. Calligraphy in China ranked on a par with painting and poetry, as hallmarks of a man of accomplishment and discriminating taste.
