Page 71 - Sotheby's Qianlong Calligraphy Oct. 3, 2018

fig. 11
Shiqu baoji chubian, Fascicle three, volume one
圖十一
《石渠寶笈．初編》，卷三上

calligraphy by masters of past dynasties housed in the Ting siyin, Zisun shichang, and tianchou gengru. There is a
imperial study” (fig. 12): postface by Dong Qichang: “This calligraphic model by the
Mid-Autumn Manuscript by Wang Xianzhi of the Jin dynasty, Elder Secretariat Director [Daling] Old Mi [Fu] regarded as the
one scroll (upper class, di one), housed in the Hall of the best calligraphic work by Zijing under Heaven. It is also called
Three Rarities the ‘single-stroke manuscript’. It began with the characters
“shi’er yue ge” and so on; these are now lost. The characters
On plain stationery paper. Running-cursive script, totalling
twenty-two characters. With a postface in small regular “qingdeng dajun” and those following are also missing. I have
script of the two characters junqing. With four imperial seals now supplemented [the lost characters] with [the Qingdeng
reading qiankun, yushu, Shaoxing, and Guangrendian. Also tie from the] Chunhuage Compendium—a tremendously
with two imperial seals Xuanhe and Shaoxing, both missing pleasing affair. Old Mi once said that, when people obtained
halves. Also with various seals reading shenpin, Hongwen a work of calligraphy by the Elder Secretariat Director, they
zhi yin, Xianzhi zhuren, Molin, Xiang Yuanbian yin, and so would cut out a character or two to sell to aficionados, and
on. Also with three seals faded and undecipherable. Also for this reason the classical calligraphic works are often
with half of a seal reading yin. The right seam bears the unreadable. Those who insist on rejoining [the fragments]
seam-riding seals Zijing suocang, Molin miwan, and zisun are laughable indeed. In the sixth month of the year jiachen,
yongbao. The left seam bears the seam-riding seals Tuimi, viewed at Xihu sengshe. Inscribed by Dong Qichang”. Dong
Pingsheng zhenshang, Xiang Zijing jia zhencang, and Xiang also noted, “The Chunhuage [copy of the Qingdeng tie]
Molin jianshang zhang. The right spacing silk bears the seven contains the characters ‘yi zhi ye’ and ‘fen zhang key an’—
characters Jin Wang Xianzhi Zhongqiu tie (note: this was these should follow this work [the Mid-Autumn Manuscript],
written by Emperor Gaozong of the Song dynasty), with half but are now separate from it. I am the first to rectify this by
a seal impression reading Xuanhe. Also with seal impressions engraving Xihongtang tie”. There is also a colophon by Xiang
reading Molin lansou, Yanyuan huchang, shenqi, and Molin Yuanbian: “Wang Xianzhi of the Jin dynasty, zi Zijing, was the
yanpi, and two additional faded impressions, of which only seventh son of Xizhi. He rose to the position of Secretariat
the four characters zhenji zhi yin are decipherable. The seam Director. He was renowned for his elegant beauty, and he was
bears seal impressions reading Xiang Molin fu miji zhi yin, lofty and untrammeled. His literary talent was unsurpassed
Gongbao shijia, and Miao wuyi jia. The left spacing silk bears in his time. When he first began practising calligraphy, Xizhi
the imperial seal Neifu tushu zhi yin, and also the other seals secretly tried to restrain his brush from behind and failed,
Dilu, Zijing zhenmi, Xiang Shuzi, Juli Xiangzhi shijia baowan, and then Xizhi realised that Xianzhi would become a famous
Renzhe siyin, Pingsheng zhenshang, Shen Yudeng yin, calligrapher. Indeed Xianzhi would become Xizhi’s peer.
Shengwu zhi yin, Wang Yanshi yin, Molin Xiang Jizi zhang, When Xianzhi first married Xi Tan’s daughter, Xizhi said to
and Gongbao shijia, and an undecipherable half of a seal. The Tan of the marriage certificate that Xianzhi wrote: ‘Xianzhi’s
seam bears the seals Tuimi, Molin shanren, shenyou xinshang, proficiency in clerical script is intimidating’. Xizhi also wrote
Xiang Zijing jia zhencang, Bu Qujiang yin, Tianlaige, Boyatang an essay entitled Yueyi lun, which he intended as a lesson for
baowan yin, Xiang Molin fu miji zhi yin, Xiang Zijing shi, Wu Xianzhi, and inscribed it ‘to be bestowed upon Guannu’, which
was Xianzhi’s childhood name. This is why Xianzhi obtained

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