Jin Tang fa shu ming ji

Abstract

"Beautiful and rare collection of calligraphy from the National Palace Museum of Taipei (Taiwan). In Chinese calligraphy, the third century CE witnessed the maturation of various script forms. Thereafter, applications for regular, running, and cursive scripts became increasingly widespread, flourishing to form a new trend. During the fourth century in the Eastern Chin dynasty (317-420), calligraphers thereupon strove to forge writing as an art form as they explored how to make brush strokes more natural and aesthetically pleasing. Pursuing the dual beauties of 'skill' and 'naturalness,' both ancient and modern forms of writing were combined to achieve a realm of utmost beauty and perfection in calligraphy. In the following eras, from the Southern Dynasties (420-589) to the T’ang (618-907) dynasties, the emperor played a leading role in the connoisseurship and collection, organization and mounting, and copying and carving in stone of masterpieces by renowned calligraphers. Slowly the refined and sophisticated style of court calligraphy changed. Scholar-calligraphers emphasized the expression of emotions, so personal character, learning, and cultivation became important elements for critically evaluating calligraphy, establishing a new turning point that served as a foundation for later scholar-calligraphy."