In our limited understanding of calligraphy, most of the calligraphy inscriptions and inscriptions stay in the tens or hundreds of years, and the historiography of calligraphy is also based on such categories for definition and research. As the remains of ancient tombs emerge, our perceptions and historical views may also be adjusted. For example, the recently unearthed Tang Dynasty "Yin Ride Epitaph" has aroused great concern in the calligraphy community and even the literary and calendar circles.
The stele is a seal book, the text is a standard Tang Kai, the whole stele is rich in content but there is no name of the person who has written a book, the level of calligraphy is extremely high, and it is similar to the early Tang Dynasty Chu Suiliang calligraphy, which immediately attracted great attention from the industry. Such a stunning new discovery will undoubtedly be cramming into the existing system of calligraphic inscriptions.
Let's take a look at this "new work" of historical calligraphy:
"Tomb of Lady Mafujun of the Tang Dynasty"
In recent years, the newly unearthed Tang Dynasty "Yin Ride Epitaph" has attracted the attention of the majority of calligraphy enthusiasts because of the calligraphy similar to the calligraphy of the famous Early Tang Dynasty master Chu Suiliang. Cheng Zhihong published an article in the "Youth Calligraphy Magazine" to discuss the calligraphy characteristics of the epitaph, but he was stuck in the body of Chu and could not extricate himself, and did not analyze it in combination with the historical background at that time, and despised that there were unfinished points in it, so he drafted it into a small article to explore the calligraphy value of the "Yin Ride Epitaph".
Although the "Epitaph of Yin Ride" is very similar to Chu Suiliang's calligraphy, after all, it has been nearly 70 years since Chu's death, so I think it is of little significance to simply discuss its Chu body value. The Tang Dynasty calligrapher Zhong Shaojing, because he was the queen of the bell, was called "Little Bell". Zhong Shaojing's most famous work is the "Lingfei Jing" now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA, which is considered by previous generations of calligraphers to be Zhong's legacy, except for the objections raised by the contemporary calligrapher Mr. Qi Gong. By comparing the Lingfei Jing and the Yin Zhide Epitaph, although there is no clear information about the writer, I am inclined to the epitaph calligraphy as one of Zhong Shaojing's works.
First of all, Zhong Shaojing was born in the period of Emperor Gaozong, and finally in the early years of Emperor Suzong, the era of the writing of the "Epitaph of Yin Ride" was the time when Zhong's calligraphy matured.
Secondly, Zhong Shaojing was a Member of the Nanlaishi Clan, and Yin Ride was a member of the Nanlaishi Clan after Yin Qinzhou, and because of the relationship between the famous general Yin Jiao under Emperor Taizong, the family status was higher. Zhong Shaojing was prominent in the Xuanwumen coup d'état after Emperor Zhongzong's death for supporting Xuanzong's meritorious service, and served as an official to Zhongshu Ling. Zhong Shaojing also married Xu Shi (a southern scholar) granddaughter of Xu Shuya during the Taizong period. The same Nanlaishi clan, all of them are officials in the Beijing Division, if it must be said that there is no contact between their families, I think it is difficult to be convincing. In addition, a large amount of information on the marriage of southern scholars can be seen in the Two Tang Dynasty Books and newly excavated epitaphs in recent years, such as the marriage of Yin and Yan Shiwei, the marriage of Yao and Ouyang families in Yao Yan's husband and wife' records, and so on.
Third, Zhong Shaojing was known for his proficiency in calligraphy in his early years, and the Old Book of Tang, volume 97, "Zhong Shaojing's Biography", reads: "With the Gongshu Zhifeng Pavilion, then the Tianshi Mingtang Gate, the Nine Ding Inscriptions, and the Palace Gate Lists are all inscribed by ShaoJing... Shaojing Yahao calligraphy and painting monuments, Juerwang and Chu Suiliang books to dozens of hundreds of volumes. (The New Book of Tang, volume 121, is slightly identical.) It can be seen from this that Zhong Shaojing was good at calligraphy and had great respect and preference for the calligrapher Chu Suiliang at that time.
Otherwise, why search for the authentic chu shu? Then his calligraphy style must also be influenced by Chu Suiliang, which is obviously beyond doubt.
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Fourth, when zhao Mingcheng's "Golden Stone Record" volume 23 of the Song Dynasty recorded the "Sui Zhou Luo Throat Epitaph", it was said that "the right "Sui Zhou Luo Throat Epitaph" has no name, and Ouyang Rate is even more in daye in the "Yao Debate Epitaph" and "Yuan Longevity Epitaph" in the Daye, which are the same font as this stele, and the Gai rate is more booked. In the past, Dr. Mi Kushanshu was particularly good at judging, and he also took yuyan as the truth. ”
The ancients identified inscriptions without the name of the calligrapher as someone's book by comparison, and were approved by the calligrapher, so "comparative judgment" is a method of determining the writer. Therefore, there is a precedent for me to compare the calligraphy of zhong Shaojing's "Lingfei Jing" and "Yin Ride's Epitaph" and identify Zhong Shaojing's calligraphy with zhong Shaojing's calligraphy.
Based on the above analysis, I think that the newly unearthed Tang Dynasty "Yin Ride Epitaph" in recent years is most likely one of the calligraphy works of the calligrapher Zhong Shaojing during the Kaiyuan period.