Complete Collection of Chinese Calligraphy, Volume 32

Author: Liu Zhengcheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1995-06-01
Features: The Complete Collection of Chinese Calligraphy spans from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the contemporary era, comprising 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 sections based on the era, with additional sections for seal carving, treatises, appendices, and supplements. The collection features over thirty thousand prints of exquisite calligraphic works from Chinese history, preserved worldwide, accompanied by over twenty million words of scholarly essays and annotations. Many of the illustrations have been published for the first time. Each volume includes: a biographical essay on the calligrapher (or a period-specific analysis), illustrations, calligrapher's theories on calligraphy, chronological tables of the calligrapher's life, maps of the calligrapher's life journey, annotations and explanations of the illustrations, and bibliographies. 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—following the Chunhua Gallery Cuts of the Song Dynasty and the Three Pals Hall Calligraphy of the Qing Dynasty. Such a thorough, systematic, in-depth, and meticulous study of an art form is rare not only in China but also in the academic world. This book holds immense value for calligraphy experts, researchers, enthusiasts, and collectors.
Cai Xiang: styled Junmo. Originally from Guangzhou, he later resided in Xianyou (now part of Fujian Province) and moved to Futian. He held the position of Duanming Chamber Scholar and served as the governor of Hangzhou, posthumously honored as Zhonghui. Cai excelled in regular script, running script, cursive script, and clerical script, as well as in flying white script. He once created cursive script using scattered brushstrokes, which he called "scattered grass" or "flying grass." Critics ranked Cai's running script as the best, followed by his small regular script and then his cursive script. Together with Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and Mi Fu, he is known as one of the "Four Great Calligraphers of the Song Dynasty." The Song Dynasty Chronicles·Biographies describe him as follows: "Cai was skilled in calligraphy and was admired by his contemporaries. Emperor Renzong particularly cherished his talent." Among the Four Great Calligraphers, Cai was the eldest in terms of age and seniority, preceding Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and Mi Fu. Of the Four Great Calligraphers, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and Mi Fu were known for their running and cursive scripts, while Cai was renowned for his well-structured regular script. His calligraphy was influenced by Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing, and Liu Gongquan, characterized by its thickness, dignity, grandeur, and elegance. Su Dongpo remarked, "Junmo possessed exceptional natural talent and profound learning, with a harmonious connection between mind and hand, achieving endless transformations—making him the foremost calligrapher of our era."
Cai was a loyal and upright individual with extensive knowledge. His calligraphy was described as "straight, vigorous, ancient, and noble, embodying both moral integrity and elegance." His Commentary on Yan Zhenqing's Self-Addressed Official Document reflects the style of Yan Gong while refining it, serving as a model for calligraphers. Shen Kuo praised Cai for his skill in creating cursive script with scattered brushstrokes, which he called "scattered grass" or "flying grass." This technique was inspired by flying white script, establishing his unique style. This demonstrates that Cai, despite being somewhat conservative in his approach to calligraphy, was not rigidly bound to tradition but sought to innovate while preserving classical charm.
Cai was also a renowned expert in tea appreciation. During the Qingli era of Emperor Renzong (1041–1048), he served as the Fujian Transport Commissioner, responsible for overseeing the production of tribute tea from Beiyuan. He invented small round cakes of tea, which became famous during his time. Cai's Treatise on Tea is a significant work on tea after the The Classic of Tea.
It must be noted that there is a theory in the history of calligraphy that the "Cai" in the "Four Great Calligraphers of the Song Dynasty" (Su, Huang, Mi, and Cai) should actually be Cai Jing, as he was considered morally corrupt. Later, Cai Xiang replaced Cai Jing in popular recognition. This point is open to debate.