Dong Qichang Running Script Calligraphy Manuscript

Author: Dong Qichang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-24
Features: Preface Calligraphy, a unique writing art of Chinese characters. Therefore, those who wish to learn calligraphy must have a basic understanding of the differences and evolution of Chinese character types and scripts. A character type, from the perspective of textual studies, refers to a category of characters constructed according to common principles and possessing shared characteristics. Examples include oracle bone script, Great Seal script, and Small Seal script, which are fundamentally based on the "Six Principles of Writing" and belong to ancient scripts. After Clerical script, Chinese characters became purely symbolic writing marks, classified as modern scripts. A script, in addition to referring to the personal style of a calligrapher after the Tang Dynasty (e.g., Yan script, Liu script, Ou script), generally denotes a shared characteristic or style in written characters that forms a systematic tradition, such as regular script, running script, cursive script, Clerical script, and Seal script. Scripts gradually developed and evolved through a process from simplicity to complexity and then back to simplicity. In ancient scripts, one character type often corresponded to one script. For example, oracle bone script, Great Seal script, and Small Seal script, though varying in style by person and era, had not yet formed independent scripts in the artistic sense of calligraphy, making it difficult to distinguish between character types and scripts. After the Qin and Han dynasties, character types became relatively stable while scripts flourished, leading to increasing separation between the two. Scripts thus developed into the "Three-Body Script," "Four-Body Script," "Five-Body Script," "Nine-Body Script," "Ten-Body Script," and even the "Fifty-Six-Body Script" and "One Hundred-Body Script," with a wide variety of styles. However, with the passage of time and selective refinement by people, some scripts gradually faded away, while others continued to evolve due to their convenience in writing or popularity, with the "Five-Body Script" (regular, running, cursive, Clerical, and Seal scripts) eventually becoming widely used. Among these, running script has the broadest application. Running script is generally believed to have originated with Liu Desheng of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Wei Heng of the Jin Dynasty once said, "In the early Wei Dynasty, there were two calligraphers, Zhong You and Hu Zhao, who learned running script from Liu Desheng." Zhang Huangguan of the Tang Dynasty defined running script as "neither regular nor cursive." Running script is further divided into regular-running and cursive-running, with differences as described by Liu Xizai of the Qing Dynasty: "Regular-running is close to regular script but more unrestrained, while cursive-running is close to cursive script but more restrained." Due to its nature as "a simplified version of regular script, interspersed with simplicity and ease, flowing like clouds and water, with varying thickness and thinness, neither fully regular nor fully cursive, deviating from squareness and embracing roundness, it is a shortcut between regular and Clerical scripts" (as described by Song Cao of the Qing Dynasty), running script is widely used and an essential practice for those aspiring to calligraphy. To meet the needs of learners practicing and appreciating running script, a collection of famous calligraphers' running script works from various dynasties has been compiled. This volume includes two works by Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty: "The Self-Written Biography of Master Shao Kangjie by Shao Kangjie and the Praise of Cheng and Zhu" and "Imitation of the Holy Teaching Order by Huai Ren." Dong Qichang (1555–1636) was a native of Huating, Shanghai, in the Ming Dynasty, styled Xuanzai, and known as Sibai and Xiangguang Jushi. He passed the imperial examination in the 17th year of the Wanli era and was later appointed as a Censor-in-Chief and then to the position of Compiler. Later, he served as the Education Commissioner of Hubei Province but was resentful due to opposition from powerful families and resigned. When Emperor Guangzong ascended the throne, he was recalled as Vice Minister of the Imperial Ancestral Temple and took charge of the Imperial Academy. In the second year of the Tianqi era, he was promoted to Minister of the Imperial Ancestral Temple and Academician. During the reign of eunuchs, he requested leave due to the severe political turmoil and was posthumously honored as Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent. During the reign of the Prince of Fuzhou, he was posthumously titled Wenmin. Dong Qichang was renowned for his calligraphy and also skilled in painting. Other calligraphers renowned for their skills included Xing Dong of Linyi, Mi Wanchong of Shuntian, and Zhang Ruiguo of Jinjiang. They were collectively known as "Xing, Zhang, Mi, and Dong," or the "Southern Dong and Northern Mi." However, the three fell far short of Dong Qichang's mastery. "The Self-Written Biography of Master Shao Kangjie by Shao Kangjie and the Praise of Cheng and Zhu": Shao Kangjie, also known as Shao Yongfu, was a philosopher of the Northern Song Dynasty (1011–1077) and posthumously titled Kangjie. Originally from Fanyang, he moved to Gongcheng, Henan, with his father in childhood. He repeatedly refused official appointments and lived in seclusion on Baimyan Mountain, later known as Baimyan Master. Later, he settled in Luoyang and maintained close ties with Sima Guang and Lü Gongzhao. This work showcases Dong Qichang's style, which seeks elegance and refinement in simplicity and grace. "Imitation of the Holy Teaching Order by Huai Ren": Huai Ren was a monk who lived in Hongfu Temple in Chang'an during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. He compiled Wang Xizheng's running script into "The Holy Teaching Order of the Great Tang Tripitaka," which is said to have collected most of Wang Xizheng's running script. Dong Qichang's "Imitation of the Holy Teaching Order" features light and swift brushwork with natural turns, truly a masterpiece. Ke Ji, November 1990