Calligraphy Beginner's Course: Copying and Analyzing Zhong Yao's "Xuan Shi Table"

Author: Guo Yongqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: In the vast history of Chinese calligraphy, numerous calligraphic masters have emerged, but only a few have played a decisive role in shaping the history of calligraphy, such as Cang Jie, Li Si, Cheng Miao, Zhang Zhi, Zhong Yao, and Wang Xizhi. Among them, Zhong Yao from the Wei and Jin periods is celebrated in history as the ancestor of modern regular script. Today, when we study regular script, we often know only Ou, Liu, Yan, and Zhao, yet we are unaware of Zhong Yao, which is due to insufficient promotion of calligraphy. Principles like "the Wei and Jin period valued elegance, while the Tang period valued rules" and "calligraphy without the influence of the Wei and Jin period is merely inferior" are well-known to many calligraphic practitioners. To enable calligraphy enthusiasts to directly enter the realm of mastery and improve their skills, it is essential to vigorously promote and popularize the calligraphy of the Wei and Jin period, especially Zhong Yao's regular script.
Zhong Yao (AD 151–230), styled Yuan Chang, is renowned for his representative works such as the Xuan Shi Table, He Jie Table, Jian Ji Zhi Table, and Hui Shi Table. His calligraphic style is known as the "Zhong Style," and he is often paired with the "Sage of Cursive Script" Zhang Zhi as "Zhong and Zhang," and with the "Sage of Calligraphy" Wang Xizhi as "Zhong and Wang," demonstrating his significant status in the history of calligraphy. His regular script broke away from the angular brushwork of ancient regular script, adopting a rounder style instead. This was his primary innovation. Additionally, his characters are square and slightly flattened, retaining traces of clerical script, with a round, thick, and broad font. His style deeply influenced Yan-style regular script.
We have selected his work with more characters, the Xuan Shi Table, for analysis of strokes and structure. Additionally, we have compiled over 20 couplets and some idiomatic, making this text versatile for learning and practice. This not only helps in mastering the stylistic features of the Zhong Style but also facilitates creative applications, reflecting the academic rigor and practicality of a student's model script.