FIRE BRUSH
The Fiery element belongs to the realm of the mythical Dragon and regal Phoenix or Simurgh. Like the djinn, all are beings made of fire and this magnificent brush, with its ethereal, otherworldly guise, is not quite what it seems. Part brush and part quill, and somewhat closer to a pen, it is made from that most ancient precursor to the brush - the feather itself. Like a Phoenix from the flames, we revive this archaic brushmaking technique to produce our Fire brushes.
Do not be fooled by its outward flightly appearance; this brush draws - drawls - a sinuous, winding line and packs a powerful performance in the shape of sharp strokes that are at first wispy, then fierce. Lazily serpentine, then furiously edgy. The dragon awakens, expels a lazy puff before igniting its target. Smouldering ashes gather together to await the rebirth of the Firebird. One definitive strike of the brush and the page is on fire, alight with the strong, bright calligraphic stroke that knows its own potential and marks its territory accordingly.
Each brush is made with a single feather, recalling the story of Zal from the Shahnameh - the Persian Book of Kings - who was raised by the legendary bird and given three magic tail feathers to burn in case of danger. Thus the Simurgh, his foster mother, would be summoned to rescue him when he was in mortal peril.
In the absence of magic Phoenix birds, our Fire brushes are made from single swan feathers. In England, the swan is a royal bird and all swans belong to the Queen, so the feathers may not be plucked - we must wait until the shedding season so the feathers can be picked up by hand. Thus our rare Fire brushes are made seasonally and in limited quantities only.
The Fire logo is based on the ancient Chinese character for Fire. Each brush is one-of-a-kind and we have two types of ferrule for our Fire offering. The Quill ferrule comes with a caveat and needs more expertise and delicacy of handling, so comes with a learning curve to produce a calligraphic line. While handling the quill takes some skill, the Metal ferrule allows for slightly easier manipulation. The handle is raw birch wood, which is lightest and easiest to hold and allows for the best grip, which in turn grants the most control. Bear in mind that the feathers are in their natural state - please do allow for some variation from brush to brush as each one is truly unique.