Song dynasty copy of the Canghua Pavilion Preface. Part 2. Wang Xizhi

Author: Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-10-01
Features: The Cunhua Gallery Collection (also known as The Cunhua Secret Gallery Collection or The Official Collection), or simply The Gallery Collection, was engraved in the "Secret Gallery" during the Cunhua era of the Northern Song Dynasty. In the third year of the Cunhua era (992 AD), Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty ordered Wang Zhuo, the Court Painter, to engrave the famous calligraphic works from the Han to Tang dynasties in the imperial collection into The Cunhua Secret Gallery Collection in ten volumes. After the completion of the engraving, the imperial collection used Chengxin Hall paper and Li Tinggui ink to print it. Historical records of the Song Dynasty state: "Emperor Xiling, who pacified the four directions, after inheriting the legacy of the Han dynasty, paid attention to calligraphy and painting. He used the imperial collection to preserve the authentic works of later dynasties and ordered Wang Zhuo to engrave them in the palace, dividing them into ten volumes." The ninth and tenth volumes of The Cunhua Gallery Collection feature the works of Wang Xianzhi. These two volumes contain sixty-three pieces. Due to the exquisite craftsmanship of the engraving, The Gallery Collection relatively accurately reflects the calligraphic style of Wang Xianzhi. The Cunhua Secret Gallery Collection (ten volumes) is a historical collection of calligraphic works, The Gallery Collection. In the third year of the Cunhua era (992 AD), Emperor Taizong Zhao Guangyi of the Song Dynasty ordered the works preserved in the Secret Gallery to be compiled by Wang Zhuo, with annotations and engravings on mulberry wood boards. Officials who were promoted to the two ministries were given a copy of the printed collection. The Gallery Collection is one of China's most famous calligraphic collections. From Emperor Zhangdi of the Han Dynasty to Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, it includes the works of 103 famous calligraphers, with approximately 420 pieces. Since then, a large number of ancient calligraphic works have been preserved through it, earning it the title of the crown of calligraphic collections, with its contributions lasting for millennia. Based on the examination of the surviving fragments of the Song Dynasty edition of The Cunhua Gallery Collection, including The Collection of Famous Ministers of Later Generations (Volume 4) and The Collection of Ancient Calligraphy of Various Masters (Volume 5), the author found that the Tang Dynasty calligraphers included in The Gallery Collection were masters such as Zhu Siliang, Yu Shinan, Ouyang Xun, Liu Gongquan, Li Yi, Lu Jianzhi, Bo Shaozhi, Zhang Xu, and Huai Su, but Yan Zhenqing was the only one not included. Further examination of the Cunhua Gallery Collection from the Shu Mansion reveals that this collection was a replica of the Song Dynasty edition given by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang to the Shu Prince Zhu Xuan when he was enfeoffed in Lanzhou. This Ming Dynasty replica, which was reduced in size and printed (published by Shanghai Bookstore in 1990), was based on the original printing of the Song Dynasty edition. In 1991, Beijing Ancient Books published a photolithographic edition of The Cunhua Gallery Collection, which directly used the Qing Dynasty's Guigong-era printing as the base. In 1988, China Bookstore published a photolithographic edition of the Song Dynasty edition of The Cunhua Gallery Collection. All three editions of The Gallery Collection do not include Yan Zhenqing's calligraphic works. The Commercial Press published The Cunhua Gallery Collection with Annotations (two volumes) in 1985, which also does not include annotations of Yan Zhenqing's works. This confirms that The Gallery Collection certainly excluded Yan Zhenqing.