Introduction
"Shiqi Modelbook" is a collection of letters written by Wang Xizhi (303-361; venerated as China's "Sage Calligrapher") in his late years to friends and takes its name from the first two characters of the first letter: shiqi ("seventeen"). The original "Shiqi Modelbook" appeared as early as the Tang dynasty (618-907) but no longer survives. Fortunately, people in the past often made copies, imitations, and engravings of it. Along with descriptions found in catalogues, these sources provide a window for reconstructing what the original model looked like. The original, done mainly in cursive script, featured fluid brushwork and strong, forceful lines that were even and elegant. Thus, by the Song dynasty, the Imperial Librarian Huang Bosi (1079-1118) praised this work as the "Dragon of Calligraphy."
Since its first appearance, "Shiqi Modelbook" has been an icon for the study of calligraphy in China. For example, a partial copy dating from the Tang dynasty has been uncovered at Dunhuang, and one of the letters, "Hanshi Modelbook," was also copied by Su Shi (1037-1101) of the Northern Song. During the following Yuan and Ming dynasties, different versions of "Shiqi Modelbook" had come into circulation (both in album leaf and handscroll format), including representative examples by Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322) in the Yuan, Dong Qichang (1555-1636) of the late Ming, and Zhu Dayou (dates unknown). Of particular note, Yu He’s (1307-1382) conscious enlarging of the characters and composing them into a vertical scroll represented a major new direction in the history of this modelbook. During the middle to late Ming dynasty, the private printing of engraved modelbooks had become a trend. Although the paper and ink used in such engravings of "Shiqi Modelbook" as those from the Yugang Study and Yuqing Study could not compete with the archaic quality of Song dynasty versions, they still played an important role in the transmission of this paradigmatic work. In the Qing dynasty, Wang Shu's (1668-1739) imitation captured both its spirit and form in a faithful and complete rendering. The Qianlong emperor (1711-1799), also an avid calligrapher, also presented the modelbook in various ways, while Liu Yong (1720-1805) used gold ink to transcribe it in a strongly decorative manner. This work was then given new life following the establishment of the Republic of China, such as in the majestically powerful style of Tan Yankai (1880-1930) and the carefully precise rendering of Pu Ru (1896-1963), showing how the theory of injecting new ideas into established models of calligraphy was put into practice.
This exhibition includes thirteen examples of or related to "Shiqi Modelbook" through the ages in the National Palace Museum collection. Together, they present the beauty of this illustrious work, the influence it exerted, and its transmission in the history of Chinese calligraphy.