Confucius Temple Stele

Author: (Japanese) Tenshi Higashimura
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: The "Calligraphy Technique Lectures" selects various scripts and styles of characters from famous calligraphers throughout history, picking out authentic works deemed suitable for learning and imitation as models. Each volume focuses on one authentic work, and in cases of longer works, to avoid excessive complexity in learning, their techniques are simplified by systematically selecting and arranging well-preserved or partial characters that are considered typical of their calligraphy, while omitting others. As renowned calligraphy models, they are enlarged to a suitable size for easy learning and understanding, with the original-sized authentic works also published for comparison. The technique explanations are aimed at self-learners at the beginner level. Each volume of the "Calligraphy Technique Lectures" is an introductory book for various scripts and calligraphy styles, hence no specific learning order is prescribed. This volume, as one of the "Calligraphy Technique Lectures," follows the general principles of the series. The ink rubbings published here are arranged according to the purpose of this volume, selecting typical characters from the "Confucius Temple Hall Stele by Yu Shilin." Each character is printed in black and white after reversing the original rubbing, enlarged three times, and arranged in the size of six characters per half sheet of paper. The models are composed of the following:
1. Basic Strokes. Extracting the most important basic points and strokes from the "Confucius Temple Hall Stele," with key points and techniques explained for each character.
2. Character Forms and Structure. Explaining the basic principles of Yu Shilin's structural methods in twenty-seven categories.
3. Writing of Major Radicals. Selecting representative well-preserved characters for each radical, with explanations centered on strokes and structure.
4. Publishing the original-sized rubbing.
5. Including an overview table of stroke and form principles for the "Confucius Temple Hall Stele." For the convenience of beginners in mastering structural methods, nine-tier red lines (commonly known as "grid lines") are attached to each character. The enlarged models are primarily selected from old rubbings of the Lixi of Linchuan. Regarding Strokes. According to continuous photos taken by high-speed photography, learners can more specifically grasp the process of the brush tip's movement.