Zhang Weisong's Seal Collection

Author: Zhu Zhenhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-11-01
Features: Jiang Weisong, styled Junzhai, with studio names Feibai Dayuan and Wangshi, was born in Changzhou, Jiangsu in 1915. He is a renowned contemporary linguist, calligrapher, and seal carver. He has served as a council member of the Chinese Linguistic Society and an academic committee member of the Chinese Exegesis Society. Currently, he is a council member of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, a committee member of the Seal Carving Art Committee, the president of the Shandong Branch of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, a member of the Xiling Seal Club, a researcher of the Shandong Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a professor at Shandong University. Since the 1930s, Jiang Weisong has studied seal carving under the famous scholar, poet, and seal carver Qiao Zengqu. He is the sole inheritor of the Qiao-style seal carving art. His seal works draw inspiration from various ancient scripts, including oracle bone script, bronze inscriptions, Warring States characters, and Qin and Han seal scripts. He combines the sharp cutting technique of his brother Huang Mufu with the exquisite composition of Qiao Dazhuang, creating a unique style of seal carving: elegant and refined composition, smooth and refined cutting, with a balanced yet dynamic posture, clever yet natural design. His scholarly demeanor, fresh and elegant, is organically blended with the classical charm of the Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties. This has established his seal carving art as holding a very important position in the contemporary Chinese seal carving scene. This book collects 490 seals created by the author over more than half a century, compiled and organized by his disciple Liu Shaogang. It includes some early works, such as the square seal "Nan Langling" created during his apprenticeship, as well as a few late works and a large number of mid-career pieces, with famous seals and occasional stamps placed together. The collection is generally arranged in the order of self-use seals, early, mid-career, and late works, to help readers better understand the development of Jiang Weisong's seal carving art and the evolution of his style in each period. Due to the loss of many of the author's self-preserved seal impressions, additional selections were made from recent publications such as "," "" (published in Taiwan), and "Xuan Yin Lou Lü Yin" (published in Singapore). On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Zhonghua Book Company, we have specially published this collection to delight readers who appreciate seal carving art.