"Since a person can only begin to experience life after the cutting of their foetal hair, many Chinese take the infant's first hair cut as a significant event," said Yang Xiemin, baby-hair barber of Shanghai Xiao A Hua Science and Education Co Ltd. "And its naturally sharply-pointed character makes foetal hair an ideal material for making writing-brushes."

Yang's tight daily schedule reflects the high popularity of foetal-hair writing-brushes amongst locals.

Every day Yang is busy shuttling among clients by motor scooter from early morning to night.

"On average, I cut the foetal hair of at least 10 babies every day. And in Summer, which is the peak time, the number is more than 20," said Yang, now in his 40s and who claims he has cut the foetal hair of more than 30,000 babies in the past decade.

The price charged for each foetal haircut by Yang's company is 28 yuan (US$3.38), which can be deducted if the client is also willing to order a foetal-hair writing-brush through the company.

The big profits gained through the manufacture of foetal-hair writing-brushes laid a solid foundation for the company's rapid growth into a renowned baby service provider. The expansion has occurred since the company was founded by two young sisters from neighboring Fujian Province in 1993.

Driven by the profitable market in Shanghai, there are currently over 40 companies offering a foetal-hair writing- brush manufacturing service, which not only intensifies competition, but also helps whip up market demand.

Dear hair

It was said in ancient China that naturally sharp-pointed foetal hair was able to magically exorcise evil spirits. People would collect foetal hair, make it into balls, and hang it in front of the door of their residences.

Even if the magic is only a superstition, the suitability of foetal hair for writing-brush manufacture is undoubted.

Among the various tools of calligraphy, including the inkstick, ink-slab and paper, it is the writing-brush that is peculiar to China.

Good-quality writing-brushes should be sharp-pointed, smoothly rounded, neatly cut and stiff at the tips, which are more like tender bamboo shoots than paintbrushes.

Chinese writing-brushes are usually categorized according to their flexibility or stiffness. Brushes made of rabbit, deer, weasel and rat hair are stiff, and those made of goat hair and chicken feathers more flexible. If one wants a brush that is neither too flexible nor too stiff, the best choice is one made from a mixture of rabbit and goat hair, or a mixture of goat and weasel hair.

"The high flexibility and naturally sharply-pointed character of foetal hair makes it an ideal material for writing-brush manufacture," Yang said.

Writing-brushes made of foetal hair are called wumaobi (black haired brushes) and are regarded as the most highly treasured, according to Yang.

For the convenience of writing-brush manufacture, the foetal-hair barber has to be very careful about the length of the cut hairs, and be sure to collect the hairs with the sharp-pointed ends all in the same direction.

To honor the significance of the first-ever haircut, various rites are practiced before the haircut in some families, drawn from Buddhist and Daoist traditions, including burning joss sticks, setting-off firecrackers and giving presents of food.

Beloved brush

Although foetal-hair writing-brush making can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), its popularity in the Chinese mainland only surged in the past decade.

Since the manufacture of a foetal-hair writing-brush involves a number of complicated procedures handled by dozens of technicians, in ancient times only rich and powerful family could afford it. Therefore the foetal-hair writing-brush was also called fuguibi (writing-brush of wealth).

In the early 1990s, Yang only cut the foetal hair for around six babies on average each day.

Now the number has doubled, despite the fact that the company has doubled the number of foetal hair barbers too, in order to meet the tougher competition in the market.

Depending upon the type of brush handle - which can be made out of ivory, cloisonne, ox horn or padauk -- foetal-hair writing-brush prices range from 88-1988 yuan (US$10.6 to US$240) per unit.

(Shanghai star September 12, 2002)