Ling Fei Jing Small Regular Script Ink Rubbing

Author: Compiled by the Editorial Department
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: This book is one of the "Classic Chinese Stele and Calligraphy Series," showcasing the calligraphic traces of the "Lingfei Jing" small regular script. The characters in this collection are evenly spaced, with round and flowing brushwork, and elegant and beautiful structure and layout. This calligraphy book not only has extremely high artistic appreciation and collection value but also allows to experience an ideal realm of classical Chinese calligraphy, embodying gentleness within strength, outwardly soft yet inwardly firm. Beginners can practice by imitating the brushwork, structure, and composition of each character. This calligraphy book is a rare treasure and can be considered the best model for beginners.
The "Lingfei Liujia Jing" is a Daoist scripture, discovered in the late Ming Dynasty. It is a single scroll of a meticulously written Tang Dynasty copy from the Kaiyuan era. Its style of calligraphy is very similar to that of the Brick Stele Inscriptions, but its brushwork and ink color far surpass those of stone carvings. At the time, it entered the hands of Dong Qichang, who inscribed a colophon on it. The Hai Ning Chen family engraved and published the "Bohai Zhenzhen" series, borrowing the scroll from the Dong family to carve it into stone. It appeared that there were some collateral arrangements between the two families. Later, Dong Qichang redeemed it and resold it, leading to many disputes.
When the "Bohai" was engraved in full, twelve lines were lost. When Dong Qichang redeemed it, the Chen family retained forty-three lines. From this situation of selective retention, it is possible that the twelve missing lines were also by Dong Qichang during the initial collateral arrangement. Later, they were either reunited or separated again. Now, only the forty-three lines retained by the Chen family remain, while the rest are unknown to exist.
The calligraphy of the "Lingfei" itself is considered a masterpiece among Tang Dynasty Buddhist scriptures. Compared to the numerous Tang Dynasty manuscripts found in Dunhuang, there are not many that match the exquisite quality of the "Lingfei." During the Qing Dynasty imperial examinations, the quality of calligraphy was almost as important as the quality of essays, making it an excellent model for scholars to study small regular script. As a result, the first edition of the "Bohai" became a rare treasure.
The original stone gradually wore down due to frequent printing, leading to various re-engravings. The "Cihui Hall Collection" re-engravings have smooth brushwork and falsely added colophons by Zhao Mengfu. In the mid-Qing Dynasty, it became the most popular re-engraving, but in reality, it is the worst among reprints and is even further from the original appearance of the "Bohai." During the Jiaqing era, Xie Gongming of Jia Shan obtained the forty-three lines retained by the Chen family and engraved them into the "Wangyunlou Collection." The engraving method differs from the "Bohai." It pays attention to the pauses at the start and end of brushstrokes and is slightly fuller than the "Bohai" version. Anyone who has seen Dunhuang manuscripts would easily feel that the "Wangyun" is more "authentic" while the "Bohai" may be somewhat "distorted."