Jain Miniature Paintings from Western India c9.s10.25

c9.s10.25

In making the selection of suitable hair for the manufacture of brushes, the painter keeps two prerequisites in view; firstly, only that hair should be used that clots when dipped in water, and, secondly, it should not be extra soft or hard. The hair of Persian cat, she-buffalo, goat, and squirrel, satisfies the above-mentioned conditions, and, therefore, used for making brushes. The favourite brushes of the Mughal painters are made from the hair of a squirrel's tail, because it is easily obtainable and makes an excellent brush. It should, however, be kept in mind that, while selecting the hair of a squirrel, its tip should be black; the hair with a white point does not clot properly and hence is useless for the purpose of brush-making. It is necessary, therefore, to select young squirrels whose downy hair serves the purpose very well. Wetting the tail of a squirrel, the hair is gathered and cut with a sharp instrument in the shape of a barley corn. Next, the hair is passed through feather quills cleansed from inside and wetted from one end and taken out from the other. Generally, the quills obtained from the feathers of a pigeon serve the purpose well, though for thicker brushes peacock feather quills are used. Finally handles are attached. Brushes of various degrees of fineness, equivalent to 00, 0, 1, 2 and 5 of the modern brushes for water-colour painting, are made.