Selected Miniature Regular Script Through the Ages: Wei Zhongyao

Author: Wang Lifang, Wang Haiming, Wang Tao (editors)
Publisher: Xiling Press
Publication Date: 2004-02-01
Features: Zhong Yao (151–230 AD), styled Yuanchang, was a native of Changshe in Yingchuan (now eastern Changge County, Henan). He was a high-ranking official of the Wei Dynasty, holding the position of Grand Tutor, and was widely known as "Zhong Taifu." Zhong Yao is a renowned calligrapher in the history of calligraphy, celebrated as the "Ancestor of Regular Script" in the Song Dynasty's Xuanhe Shupu. His surviving works are mostly in small regular script. The Thirteen Lines of the Table Celebrating the Victory (also known as The Table Celebrating the Conquest, The Table of Military Road, or The Table of Military Road to the East) consists of thirteen lines and 158 characters. It was created in the second year of the Jianfa era (219 AD) and records Zhong Yao's congratulatory letter upon the victory of Qiao Cao Ren and Xu Huang over the Shu general Guan Yu. The Xuanhe Shupu records that the imperial collection of the Song Dynasty held a copy of Zhong Yao's calligraphic work, and this is the only one listed. Although there has been controversy over the authenticity of its content since the Song Dynasty, its calligraphic style closely resembles the unearthed calligraphic works from the Wei and Jin periods. It aligns with the descriptions of Zhong's script as "slender," "powerful," and "compact" (Liang's Book of Tao Hongjing), and "ancient yet not modern, long yet exceeding regulation" (Tang Taizong's Commentary on Wang Xizhi). It can be considered one of the best surviving works that embody Zhong Yao's original style, with brushwork and structure that are unexpectedly elegant yet vigorous.
The Xuanshi Table, consisting of eighteen lines and 298 characters, records Zhong Yao's submission to Cao Pi in the second year of the Huangchu era (221 AD) requesting approval for Sun Quan's surrender. The original is lost, and the surviving copy is believed to be a copy by Wang Xizhi. The Tang imperial collection initially regarded it as Wang's work and included it in the Chunhua Pavilion Collection. The Chunhua Pavilion Collection features the lower part of Zhong Yao's work. Its calligraphy is described as "like the music of Chu practiced in Xia, unable to be entirely free of Chu" (Liang's Book of Tao Hongjing).
The Recommendation of Ji Zhi Table, with nineteen lines and 214 characters, recommends Ji Zhi for a position. There is a manuscript copy, which was said to have been destroyed during the Republican era, leaving only a photograph in the possession of Wang Zhuanghong. Despite the significant controversy over its authenticity, its style is robust and ancient, with a refined elegance. Wang Shizhen remarked that its emergence made "scholars of Zhong Yao forget the Chunhua Pavilion Collection." The Qing Dynasty's Sanxi Tang Fapiao ranked it as the first piece, highlighting its profound influence.
The Table of Strength and Fate, with eight lines and 135 characters, is believed to have been written in Zhong's later years. Its structure is sparse yet natural, falling between the Table Celebrating the Victory and the Xuanshi Table in style. It may also be a copy by Wang Xizhi.
The Tomb Letter, with six lines and 65 characters, is a letter to relatives and friends expressing condolences. The script is close to running script but slightly larger. Many Ming Dynasty prints mistakenly attributed it to "Wang Xizhi copying Zhong Yao."