Catligraphy by Non-native Artists
 

 

Non-native painters often took a more liberated approach to the use of ancient models and traditions, and a similar trend can also be seen in their calligraphy as well. For example, in "Correspondence with Yen-chung" by the Central Asian K'ang-li Nao-nao (1295-1345), it follows in the ancient and elegant model of the Two Wangs (Wang Hsi-chih and his son Hsien-chih) but does not reflect the fastidious form of his contemporary Chao Meng-fu or technical perfection in brushwork. Rather, K'ang-li Nao-nao focused mainly on the easy and graceful flow of the strokes. Yu Ch'ueh (1303-1358) from Tang-hsiang was famous for his simple and airy form of poetry, and his "Letter to the Palace Writer" reflects much of the same character. The colophon inscription to Chao Meng-fu's "Two Horses" by the Uighur writer Kuan Yun-shih (1286-1324) is done with dry yet forceful brushwork as the characters slant to one side. Like Kuan's writing, it is slightly eccentric and unrestrained by established norms.