Calligraphy brushes are one of the four tools of the calligrapher. Together with an ink-stick, ink-stone and paper they are the instruments for an ancient art form that is still practised almost as a daily ritual by many Chinese people. The brushes vary greatly in size to suit the different types of script (some are as small as pencils, others have a head the size of a football) while the different styles are best served by the varied qualities of hair taken from goats, rabbits, rats and even wolves. The handles are often made from bamboo, but some, as in the photo above, are actually animal spines.