Complete Collection of Chinese Calligraphy. Volume 71, Zhao Ziqian

Author: Zhao Ziqian
Volume/Editor: Liu Zhengcheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Complete Collection of Chinese Calligraphy spans from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the contemporary era, comprising a total of one hundred and eight volumes. The volumes are divided into two major categories: 1. Period-specific volumes; 2. Master calligraphers' volumes. Each volume is organized into ten major sections according to the era, with additional sections for seals, treatises, appendices, and supplements. The collection features over thirty thousand prints of rare calligraphic works from Chinese history preserved worldwide, along with over twenty million words of academic papers and annotations. Many of the illustrations are published for the first time. Each volume includes: a biographical essay on the calligrapher (or a period-specific analysis), illustrations, the calligrapher's theories on calligraphy, a chronology of the calligrapher's life, a map of the calligrapher's life journey, annotations and explanations of the illustrations, and a bibliography. This book is not merely an artistic atlas but represents an unprecedented comprehensive, research, and introduction to the traditional Chinese art of calligraphy—spanning thousands of years of cultural heritage—by the contemporary Chinese calligraphy academic community. Such a thorough, systematic, in-depth, and meticulous study of an art form is rare not only in China but also in the global academic world. This book holds immense value for calligraphy experts, researchers, enthusiasts, and collectors.
Zhao Ziqian (1829–1884), styled Huishu and Yifu, was known by the names Beihé, Wumen, Lengjun, and Hanliao. He was from Huji (now Shaoxing), Zhejiang Province. During the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, he passed the imperial examinations and served as a county magistrate in Poyang, Fengxin, and Nancheng in Jiangxi Province. His seal carving initially followed the Zhejiang school but later adopted the style of Deng Shiru. Due to his skill in seal script calligraphy and painting, he dedicated himself to textual research and the study of inscriptions and artifacts in Beijing, broadening his knowledge. His seal carving advanced rapidly, and he developed his own distinctive style. His contributions to the history of Chinese seal carving art are significant:
1. He pioneered a new approach to emulating ancient Han dynasty seals. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, seal carvers had aimed to emulate Han seals. Zhao Ziqian realized that the essence of Han seals lay not in their worn texture but in their profound depth. He focused on achieving this "depth" while avoiding the "worn texture," opting instead for a smooth finish to highlight individuality.
2. He expanded the scope of characters used in seals. Whether in white-character or red-character seals, he boldly incorporated characters from Han mirrors, coins, decrees, inscriptions on artifacts, bricks, tiles, and stele titles, enriching the artistic heritage of seal carving with more metallic elements.
3. He boldly explored the art of seal borders. In white-character seals, the borders were often wide; in red-character seals, the borders varied in shape, sometimes broken, curved, or even absent on one side.
4. He pioneered a new era in the art of seal inscriptions. His inscriptions included styles like Yan (Regular Script), general running script, and later, large amounts of Wei (Cursive Script) calligraphy, or even vivid illustrations. Some were carved in the negative (incised) style, while others were in the positive (embossed) style. The inscriptions combined brushwork and carving, giving them a strong sense of metalwork.
Zhao Ziqian's seal carving had a profound influence not only in China but also in Japan.