Ink Manuscript　Three Sage Study Collection of Calligraphy (Full 5 Volumes) (Ink Manuscript)

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Features: The great feature of this publication is that it is an ink rubbing edition. We meticulously collected pieces from the collections of the Palace Museum and other major museums across the country, arranged them according to the original layout of the Sanxi Tang, and conducted technical treatments. Finally, the Sanxi Tang Treatise on Calligraphy was reborn in the form of an ink rubbing edition. Compared to printed editions, ink rubbings not only present clear and lifelike strokes but also feature white backgrounds with black text, making them easy to read. The exquisite layout further enhances the beauty and radiance of these rare treasures passed down through generations, making them the best model for calligraphy enthusiasts to study and an excellent collection. The Sanxi Tang Treatise on Calligraphy was a large anthology of calligraphy commissioned by Emperor Qianlong in the early years of the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Qianlong himself was a calligraphy enthusiast. In addition to his busy imperial duties, he devoted himself to practicing calligraphy, studying works from various masters. His calligraphy is graceful and refined, elegant and tasteful, ranking among the best among emperors. Qianlong also collected calligraphy from predecessors. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, many old imperial collections were dispersed among the people. Starting from the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, multiple imperial decrees were issued to search for these works. By the time of Qianlong, he placed even greater emphasis on this, leading to the collection of numerous ink rubbings from famous calligraphers throughout history in the imperial court. Among the most precious are the Quick Snow and Clear Weather Letter by Wang Xizhi, the Sage of Calligraphy, which has been passed down for nearly 1,500 years from the Jin Dynasty to the mid-Qing Dynasty, as well as the Mid-Autumn Letter by Wang Xuanzhi and the Letter to Bao Yuan by Wang Xun. Wang’s calligraphy was also the most favored by Emperor Qianlong, who studied and emulated it with great dedication. Therefore, these rare treasures were collected and cherished by Emperor Qianlong in the Youshizhan Hall of the Forbidden City. In the 12th year of Qianlong’s reign, Grand Secretaries such as Liang Shizheng were ordered to compile, copy, and engrave ink rubbings of calligraphy from the Jin and Ming dynasties from the imperial collection. Emperor Qianlong personally named it the Sanxi Tang Treatise on Calligraphy, and his special decree was also engraved at the beginning of the volume. The Sanxi Tang Treatise on Calligraphy is the largest collection of calligraphy in ancient China. In ancient times, due to backward printing technology and the difficulty of preserving calligraphy written on paper, excellent works were rarely widely disseminated. In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Taizong ordered ministers to compile and engrave the calligraphy in the imperial collection into the Chunhua Pavilion Collection, marking the beginning of large-scale engraved collections. Afterward, many imperial and private anthologies were published, greatly promoting the popularity of calligraphy. However, in terms of scale, the Sanxi Tang Treatise on Calligraphy was the largest, arguably compiling the essence of all previous anthologies. The collection includes 340 works from 135 famous calligraphers from the Wei, Jin, and Ming dynasties, categorized into regular script, running script, and cursive script. In addition, there are over 200 inscriptions and colophons by famous calligraphers and collectors, as well as over 1,600 seals. The works are arranged in chronological order, almost encompassing all the finest ink rubbings of calligraphers that the Qing court could collect. These calligraphers have always been role models for learners of calligraphy throughout history, such as Wang Xizhi and Wang Xuanzhi, Ouyang Xun, Chu Suiliang, Yan Zhenqing, Sun Guoting, Huai Su, Liu Gongquan, Yang Ningzi, Li Jianzhong, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, Cai Xiang, Emperor Huizong of Song, Emperor Gaozong of Song, Wu Ji, Zhao Mengfu, and Xian Yu Shu. Due to being an imperial engraving and accompanied by the emperor’s special decree, and with Liang Shizheng and others being renowned calligraphy historians of the time, the Sanxi Tang Treatise on Calligraphy was selected with extreme precision. After engraving, it was widely disseminated and became a highly sought-after object for calligraphy enthusiasts across the country. However, the printed editions themselves had significant limitations. First, they were aesthetically unpleasing, appearing completely black. Second, no matter how high the engraving level, compared to the original ink rubbings, they lacked the spiritual essence. Practitioners found it difficult to grasp the spirit of the original works from the printed editions. Therefore, practicing calligraphy must be done using ink rubbing editions.