Original Model Calligraphies of the Ch'un-hua Era
Anonymous rubbings, Sung Dynasty (960-1279)
Album leaves of Wang Hsi-chih calligraphy, ink on paper, each 26.4 x 31 cm

   After Emperor T'ai-tsu came to the throne, he sought the works of famous calligraphers from the previous ages as models for the new dynasty. After bringing them together, he ordered the court calligrapher Wang Chu (?-990) to arrange the imperial collection and have an engraving copy made of the works, a project that was finished in 992 (the third year of the Ch'un-hua era). "Original Model Calligraphies of the Ch'un-hua Era" is composed of ten chapters and includes 419 works by 105 calligraphers. At the end of each chapter is an inscription giving the date and the imperial decree to having it carved in stone. Later writers, however, said it was engraved in jujube wood. Rubbing copies were made at the time and presented to major officials at the two top bureaus at court. Later, the engravings were destroyed in a fire, leaving few surviving original rubbings. Fortunately, they were recut and rubbings made in various private and imperially sponsored projects, leading to the work's enormous popularity and great influence on later generations of calligraphers.

    This is the earliest compilation of engraved calligraphies in China, serving as a source for many works from previous ages--hence its name as an "original model" for study. The calligraphers represented in the compilation are arranged according to status along with a special section devoted to China's Sage Calligrapher--Wang Hsi-chih (ca. 303-ca. 361)--and his son Wang Hsien-chih. This exhibit features the section on the calligraphy of Wang Hsi-chih. The presence of the collection seal "Chun-mo" indicated to later writers that this is a Sung rubbing that passed through the collection of the famous Sung calligrapher Ts'ai Hsiang (1012-1067).