Calligraphy book compilation. Running script

Author: Ma Yunxian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Wang Xizhi's running script holds a special position in the history of Chinese calligraphy and has had a profound influence on later generations. It has always been the preferred model for practicing running script. In this edition, we have compiled "The Orchid Pavilion Preface" and "The Holy Teaching Preface" separately and then combined them into one volume to make it more convenient for readers to practice and use Wang Xizhi's characters. The arrangement of characters in this volume follows the order of characters in the "Xinhua Dictionary" for different characters, while for identical characters, the order follows their appearance in the original works as a principle. To reduce typesetting waste, line breaks are made only when the initial letter of the Pinyin changes, with no spaces inserted in between. To ensure the clarity and prominence of annotations, identical cursive characters are annotated only under the first occurrence for easy identification and differentiation. To facilitate readers' searches, this volume also includes a method for searching by radicals. For learners who have not yet memorized the entire text of the calligraphy, they can quickly locate the desired character by tracing its strokes. This volume can serve as a model for beginners practicing cursive script, making it convenient for both comprehensive and selective practice. It not only helps reduce difficulties in recognizing characters but also improves practice efficiency, shortening the learning time. For calligraphers who use Wang Xizhi's characters as their subject, this volume offers two primary advantages. First, it allows for quick searches, as all instances of the same character in the volume are presented at a glance. If a character is not found, no time is wasted searching. Second, identical characters are grouped together, making it easier to compare variations in stroke execution and structure, which facilitates the selection of the most suitable character for creative purposes. The volume also includes an index for easy character lookup.