China the Beautiful

[sllee]

Zhenjiang is famous for its vinegar. However, it is also famous for its artistic collections. One of the scenic spots that many artists visit is Jiaoshan, a little island in the middle of the river. A whole website is dedicated to a piece of calligraphy on this little island:

http://yhmsf.xinwen365.com/jsbl/jsbl.htm

The attraction is a rock carving of a piece of calligraphy in the Southern Dynasty period - Yihe Ming 瘗鹤铭. It is partially restored from the broken pieces resulting from a lightning.

The significance of this piece is the style represents a transition from Lishu (clerk script) to Kaishu (regular script), and it is one of the earliest large character carvings.

The transitional calligraphy from one script to another is always the most intriguing. The writer had to break off the tradition and create a new style. That usually can meet a lot of criticism and opposition. If successful, it would open up a new horizon.

During the creation, obviously the writer had to try a number of expressions that might be awkward, unnatural, or even naive. To appreciate such calligraphy takes a different measure. However, it should be quite apart from the deliberate imitation of ugly childish calligraphy.

The following are some of the carvings:

http://yhmsf.xinwen365.com/jsbl/yhm/yhm-zfhl.htm

There is no conclusion as to who the artist is. Different legends circulating include Wang Xizhi, Yn Zhenqing, Tao Hongjing.

The content of the calligraphy is about the love story of a crane:

金山本《瘗鹤铭》原文

鹤寿不知其纪也，壬辰岁得于华亭，甲午岁化于朱方。天其未遂，吾翔寥廓耶？奚夺余仙鹤之遽也。乃裹以玄黄之巾，藏乎兹山之下，仙家无隐晦之志，我等故立石旌事篆铭不朽词曰：相此胎禽，浮丘之真，山阴降迹，华表留声。西竹法理，幸丹岁辰。真唯仿佛，事亦微冥。鸣语化解，仙鹤去莘，左取曹国，右割荆门，后荡洪流，前固重局，余欲无言，尔也何明？宜直示之，惟将进宁，爰集真侣，瘗尔作铭。
_________________
SL Lee
http://www.asiawind.com

[yiukwokwai]

Dear SL,

Thanks for sharing the information.

Wishing you a happy Christmas.

Julian.