Lu Ji (261-303), courtesy name Shiheng, was a native of Wu County (now Suzhou, Jiangsu Province). Because it was once the plain's inner history, it is called Lu Pingyuan in the world. He is "a rare genius, with the best articles in the world" ("Jin Shu Lu Ji Biography"). Together with his younger brother Lu Yun, he was a famous writer in my country's Western Jin Dynasty. In fact, Lu Ji was also an outstanding calligrapher. His "Pingfu Tie" It is the earliest authentic Dharma calligraphy of famous people that has survived in ancient my country.
The nine-line "Pingfu Tie" has an inscribed gold inscription by Zhao Ji, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, and two seals: "Xuanhe" and "Zhenghe". Now in the Palace Museum, Beijing. The content was just an ordinary note from Lu Ji greeting his friends. Unfortunately, more than 1,700 years ago, the paper was damaged and some words could no longer be distinguished. Although there are records in ancient Dharma books such as "Mo Yuan Hui Guan Lu", "Life Spectacular", "Da Guan Lu", etc., there are no explanations. Mr. Qi Gong, a contemporary calligrapher, has an explanation of this post in his "Qi Gong Lun Manuscript".
"Pingfu Tie" is a typical calligraphy work in the evolution of cursive script. Its biggest feature is that it still retains the official meaning, but it is not as clear-cut as official script. The font is between Zhangcao and Jincao. Looking closely at this post, you can see that the bald pen is withered and sharp, strong and simple. The whole text is elegant in style and fresh in spirit. Although the words are not connected, they are eloquent and pleasing to the eye. The elegance and wisdom of the calligrapher are revealed between the lines.
There have been many reviews. Chen Yi of the Song Dynasty once said: "Shi Heng's Ping Fu Tie has very ancient chapters." "Daguanlu" says: "Pingfu Tie" is written in "cursive script, as good as seal script as official script, and the writing style is extraordinary." "Pingfu Tie" also had a great influence on later generations. Gu Fu, a man of the Qing Dynasty, said that "the ancient meaning is mottled and the characters are fantastic and unreadable. It is because of Huaisu's "Thousand Character Essay", "Kusun Tie" and Yang Ningshi's "The Living Method of Immortals" that Zhucao Shengxian got his pen." The comments may seem far-fetched, but if Huai Su and Yang Ningshi saw it in person, they would indeed be moved by it. Dong Qichang praised: "Before Youjun and after Yuanchang, only a few lines remained, which are treasures for generations to come."
Also mentioned here is the last private collector of "Pingfu Tie" - the late calligrapher Mr. Zhang Boju. "Pingfu Tie" was originally collected by Prince Gong's Mansion. In 1937, Mr. Pu Xinshe lost his mother and wanted to sell "Pingfu Tie" for funeral arrangements. During this period, some Qing Dynasty elders, such as A Lian, Meng Xigui, Zhu Pengshou, and the last number one scholar Liu Chunlin, wrote to Mr. Pu Xinshe to express their regret that "Pingfu Tie" had changed hands. Picture" like that, lost overseas. The letter was written to Mr. Pu Xinshe, and the main idea was that now that the Republic of China is in the country, can we be frugal in funerals, can the "Pingfu Tie" be temporarily deposited with the Salt Bank, and so on. He also asked Mr. Fu Zengxiang to pay tribute to Mr. Pu Xinshe. This post is passed down from ancestors, so it is better to stay in the same clan. This matter was mediated by Mr. Fu Zengxiang. In the end, Zhang Boju bought the post back from Pu Xinshe at the expense of his family and fortune. After going through many hardships and dangers, he carefully kept it so that it was not lost overseas. After 1949, Mr. Zhang dedicated this rare treasure to the country.
The "Li Bai Documents" currently stored in the Ryukoku University Library in Japan is written by Li Bai, the long history of the Western Regions, during the Qianliang period, slightly later than Lu Ji. The styles of the two are relatively close, and they are both the most important representative works of the period of transition to official script.
The following references are from the Palace Museum website
"Pingfu Tie", Jin Dynasty, Lu Jishu, paper, hand scroll, 23.7cm in length and 20.6cm in width.
9 lines of cursive script with 86 characters.
Explanation:
"Yan Xian suffered from illness, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to recover. It was his first illness, and I am worried that it will not stop here. This is a celebration. I am only a man. Fortunately, I have lost my former worries. Wu Ziyang came to the Lord for the first time, and I can't do it. Lin. When he comes back from the west, his majestic posture is detailed. His movements are impressive, and the beauty of his body is also there. His thinking and understanding are forward, and his momentum is always there, so it is appropriate to call him. When Xia Borong was in chaos, he didn't know what he heard or asked." (According to the explanatory text.) Qi Gong's "Explanation and Explanation of "Pingfu Tie")
The content of "Pingfu Tie" involves three characters. He Xun, named Yanxian, is a friend of Lu Ji. He is sick and difficult to recover from. Lu Ji said that he was happy that he could maintain the status quo, and he had a son to serve him, so he had no worries. Wu Ziyang had been to the Lu family before, but he was not taken seriously. Now that he is about to go west and meet again, his majestic behavior has a different kind of majestic beauty than before. Finally, when it comes to Xia Borong, there is no news about him due to the bandits' obstruction.
"Pingfu Tie" was written more than 1,700 years ago. It is the oldest and authentic extant Tie of famous Western Jin Dynasty masters. It is written on hemp paper with a bald pen. The writing is gentle and the style is plain and simple. The font is cursive script. "Pingfu Tie" occupies an important position in the history of Chinese calligraphy, and is of reference value for studying the changes in characters and calligraphy.
According to the endpapers of Dong Qichang, Pu Wei, Fu Zengxiang, and Zhao Chunian, we can know the collection status of "Pingfu Tie" through the ages. This post entered the Xuanhe inner palace in the Song Dynasty, belonged to Han Shineng, Han Fengxi and his son during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and then belonged to Zhang Chou. In the early Qing Dynasty, it was handed over to the Qianlong Palace through the hands of Ge Junchang, Wang Ji, Feng Quan, Liang Qingbiao, An Qi and others, and then given to the emperor's eleventh son, Prince Yongxuan. During the Guangxu period, it was owned by Prince Gong Yixin and inherited by his grandsons Puwei and Puru. Later Puru put this post up for sale in order to raise funds for his funeral. After Fu Zengxiang's mediation, Zhang Boju finally purchased it for a huge sum of money. The Zhang couple donated "Pingfu Tie" to the country in 1956.
It was recorded in books such as Wu Qizhen's "Wu Family Calligraphy and Painting", Gu Fu's "A Spectacular Life" and An Qi's "Mo Yuan Hui Guan" in the Qing Dynasty.
(Writer: Hua Ning)
