Other Calligraphy in National Palace Museum, part1

Welcome to the National Palace Museum's collection of calligraphy from the Song dynasty! Here you can explore some of the most beautiful and intricate pieces of calligraphy from this era. We have a variety of different pieces on display, including Copy from the Ch'un-hua Modelbooks, Calligraphing Poetry, Five-character Couplet in Seal Script, Essay on Calligraphy, Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew, Autobiography, Yuanhuan, Timely Clearing After Snowfall, Three Passages: Ping'an, Heru, and Fengju and Letter to Abbot Zhongfeng (As If in a Drunken Dream). These pieces were written by some of the most influential calligraphers in Chinese history, such as Wang Xizhi and Zhao Mengfu. Come take a look at these incredible artifacts today!

1. Copy from the Ch'un-hua Modelbooks

Liu Yung (style name Ch'ung-ju and sobriquet Shih-an) was a native of Chu-ch'eng in Shantung. His father served the Ch'ien-lung Emperor (r. 1736-1795) as grand secretary.

2. Calligraphing Poetry

Wang To was a Chinese scholar and calligrapher who lived during the Ming and Ch'ing dynasties. He was known for his skill in copying the works of old masters and for his lively and varied cursive script.

3. Five-character Couplet in Seal Script

Ch'i Pai-shih originally went by the name Ch'un-chih, but later changed it to Huang.

4. Essay on Calligraphy

The author's name is Sun Kuo-t'ing. He was from Wu-chün. He was of high moral integrity, and resigned from officialdom after being slandered at court. He then turned to focus on the study of calligraphy.

5. Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew

Yen Chen-ch'ing's ancestors were from the Shantung area. In the revolt of Li Hsi-lieh, Yen Chen-ch'ing was supposed to bring an imperial communique to the rebels, but he was detained and eventually executed.

6. Autobiography

Huai-su was a monk who originally went by the name Ch'ien Ts'ang-chen. He was born in Ling-ling County, Hunan, but later moved to Ch'ang-sha. Even as a youth, he was interested in Buddhism, eventually taking the tonsure.

7. Yuanhuan

Wang Xizhi was a very skilled calligrapher who was later known as the "Sage of Calligraphy." This particular piece of calligraphy, called "Xingbie," is actually a copy that was made by tracing the original and then filling it in with ink.

8. Timely Clearing After Snowfall

Wang Hsi-chih was a Chinese nobleman and calligrapher who lived in the 4th century. He was born in Lin-i, in the Shantung province, and studied poetry, music and calligraphy.

9. Three Passages: Ping'an, Heru, and Fengju

Wang Xizhi was a famous calligrapher from the Eastern Jin period. He is known as the "Sage Calligrapher" because he established the standards for modern cursive and running scripts. "Ping'an" and "Heru" are two letters written by Wang.

10. Letter to Abbot Zhongfeng (As If in a Drunken Dream)