Pearl Return to Happiness - [Revised Edition]

Author: Huang Chang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Starting in the 1940s, Huang Chang consciously collected handwritten calligraphy and ink marks from his fellow writers and scholars. Over time, the collection grew, and dozens of modern masters such as Zhang Yuanji, Shen Yimò, Ma Xùlún, Deng Zhichéng, Zhou Zuorén, Xu Shoucháng, Shen Congwen, Fei Ming, Mao Dun, Zhu Ziqing, Ba Jin, Bing Xin, Cao Yu, Ye Shengtao, Yu Pingbo, Qian Zhongshu, and Yang Xiang were invited to inscribe their works. During the Cultural Revolution, these calligraphies, like Huang Chang’s library, were unable to escape fate and were confiscated. After the Cultural Revolution, part of this private collection was recovered, leading to this collection of over thirty "Reminiscences of Happiness" texts. The (essays) take the calligraphies of writers and scholars as their starting point, either recounting the author’s interactions with them or commenting on their lives, works, and research, or appraising their calligraphic style. The style resembles that of a record of friendships and companionships, yet it also incorporates the approach of a biographical critique. Now, most of these modern masters have passed away, and the paper trails have turned into historical remnants. Reencountering the calligraphies of the past allows us to imagine their moral integrity and literary achievements, stirring a sense of nostalgia.