Complete Collection of Chinese Calligraphy. Volume 43, Zhao Mengfu

Author: Liu Zhengcheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-05-01
Features: This book collects calligraphy works ranging from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the contemporary era, totaling over one hundred volumes. The volumes are divided into two major categories: 1. Chronological volumes; 2. Calligrapher volumes. Each volume is categorized by era and included in ten sections, with additional sections for seal carving, essays, appendices, and supplements.
Chronological volumes include works such as oracle bone inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, bamboo slips, silk documents, pottery and brick inscriptions, steles, epitaphs, carved stones, cliff carvings, sculptures, and Buddhist scriptures. These works are classified and organized chronologically. Calligrapher volumes are divided into three types: Class A volumes feature works by a single calligrapher; Class B volumes feature works by two to four calligraphers; Class C volumes feature works by multiple calligraphers from a specific era. The table of contents for each volume, except for the preface and general index, follows the two categories of volume organization.
Chronological volumes include: color illustrations of original artifacts or rubbings, general introductions and specialized essays, plate illustrations of works, plate annotations, chronology, diagrams showing the excavation distribution of artifacts and works, main reference bibliographies and literature, and plate index.
Calligrapher volumes include: portraits of calligraphers (Class A volumes), color illustrations of original calligraphy albums or selected works, biographical essays and specialized essays on calligraphers, general introductions to calligraphy in specific eras (Class C volumes), plate illustrations of works, annotations of works, selected notes on calligraphers' theories, chronology of calligraphers, diagrams showing calligraphers' travels, main reference bibliographies, and plate index.
In Class A calligrapher volumes, supplementary volumes feature relatives and personally instructed disciples of the calligrapher to clarify mutual influences.
The appendix section includes: A Chronological Record of Chinese Calligraphy (with name index and work index), A Brief Illustrated History of Calligraphy in Ethnic Minority Scripts, A Brief Illustrated History of Overseas Calligraphy, and A Brief Illustrated History of the Four Treasures of the Study.
The supplement section contains several volumes, classifying important works that were not included or overlooked during the compilation process.
All maps in the book are based on the "Historical Atlas of China" edited by Tan Qixiang. The book is entirely printed in traditional characters to avoid confusion between ancient and modern scripts.