Chinese Calligraphy: Calligraphy of the Copybook School: Appreciating Copybooks
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Words of Wang Ya of Tang in Running Script (detail), By Liang Tongshu, Qing dynasty, 18th–19th century (Gift of Mr. Aoyama San'u)
Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 8
June 27, 2017 (Tue) - August 20, 2017 (Sun)Calligraphy by renowned writers was often incised into wood or stone, made into rubbings, and compiled into copybooks. Since the Chunhua ge tie was published in the Song dynasty in 992, copybooks were the most basic materials for studying calligraphy. Later from the latter half of the 18th century during the Qing dynasty, studies shifted to steles, focusing on ancient inscriptions on bronzes or stone monuments. Tastes in calligraphic writings accordingly transformed from elegant to vigorous. However, many calligraphers studied both steles and copybooks. This exhibition provides an overview of the transitions in copybook studies in the Qing dynasty, from masters of the copybook school including Liu Yong and Liang Tongshu, to calligraphers who studied both steles and copybooks, such as He Shaoji.
Current exhibit includes:
Chunhua ge tie Copybook of Ink Rubbings, Compiled by Wang Zhu, Compilation: Northern Song dynasty, dated 992 (Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujiro)
Poem in Cursive Script, By Wang Duo, Ming dynasty, dated 1642 (Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujiro)
Writing after Old Copybooks in Regular, Running, and Cursive Scripts, By Liu Yong, Qing dynasty, dated 1786 (Gift of Mr. Takashima Kikujiro)
Writings after the Two Wangs, By Wang Wenzhi, Qing dynasty, 18th century
Seven-character Phrase Quatrain in Running Script, By Zha Sheng, Qing dynasty, 17th century
Prose in Cursive Script, By Liang Yan, Qing dynasty, 19th century (Private collection)