Xian Yu Shu Han Yu Jin Xue Jie

Author: Xinglin Ed.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Xian Yu (1257—1302), styled Boji, styled Kunxue Shanmin, also styled Hulin Yinli, Jizhi Laoren, etc. His ancestral home was Yuyang (now Zhuolu, Hebei), and he was born in Bianliang (now Kaifeng, Henan). He once served in Yangzhou. In the 14th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1277), he was appointed as the Youli Yuanlun of the Jiangnan Tributary States Circuit. The following year, he met Zhao Mengfu in Yangzhou and became close friends, remaining lifelong friends. In the 24th year of the Zhiyuan era (1287), he was demoted due to a conflict with his superior. Later, he resided in West Lake [Kunxue Zhai], shutting himself away from guests, playing the qin, and writing, leaving behind works such as the Kunxue Zhai Poetry Collection, Kunxue Zhai Miscellaneous Notes, and Kunxue Zhai Miscellaneous Records. Xian Yu had diverse artistic attainments, excelling in poetry, mastering music theory, and composing excellent sanqu. He was also skilled in appraising ancient artifacts and paintings, but was particularly renowned for his calligraphy. During the Dade era, he served in Hangzhou alongside Zhao Mengfu and Deng Wenyuan. They exchanged calligraphic techniques and held similar views on calligraphy. He followed the styles of the Wei, Jin, and Tang dynasties, strongly criticizing the calligraphy of the Song Dynasty, believing that it had strayed far from ancient methods. He was proficient in regular script, running script, and cursive script.