ChinaKnowledge.de -
An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History and Literature

Dapiao oubi 大瓢偶筆

Apr 16, 2024 © Ulrich Theobald

Dapiao oubi 大瓢偶筆 is a book on calligraphy written during the late Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Yang Bin 楊賓 (1650-1740), courtesy name Keshuai 可帥, style Gengfu 耕夫, Dapiao 大瓢 or Xiaotie 小鐵, from Shanyin 山陰, Zhejiang. It was reorganised by Yang Pei 楊霈, courtesy name Weinong 慰農, from Tieling 鐵嶺, Liaoning. Yang Bin also wrote the books Saiwai shi 塞外詩, Tiehanzhai shuba 鐵函齋書跋, Jiating jishu 家庭紀述, Jinshi yuanliu 金石源流, Shuyao 書要 and Liubian jilüe 柳邊紀略.

The original manuscript had been written down just as Yang Bin proceeded with his studies. Yang Pei added commentaries to these notes and arranged the artworks in chronological order and by art genre. He also rectified errors in Yang Bin's notes. The result of Yang Pei's revision is a book of 8 juan in length. It starts with stele inscriptions and model calligraphies (bei tie 碑帖) from the Zhou 周 (11th cent.-221 BCE) to the time of southern and northern division (juan 1), followed by the famous Jin-period calligraphies (2), Tang-period 唐 (618-907) stone tablet inscriptions (3-4), calligraphies from the Song 宋 (960-1279), Yuan 元 (1279-1368), and Ming 明 (1368-1644) periods (5), Qing-period artworks (6), methods of the brush (bifa 筆法), the use of ink (bimo 筆墨), and painting (jihua 記畫) from the Qing period (7), and various notes on calligraphy (Oubi shiyu 偶筆識餘; 8). The structure of the book resembles that of many texts on bronze and stone inscriptions. It includes detailed discussions, exquisite proofs, and insightful arguments.

The manuscript had a preface dated 1708, but it was first printed in 1847 by the Liangdao Shu 糧道署 in Guangdong. The Yunshi Shanfang 筠石山房 published another print.

Sources:
Beijing Dongfang Shoucangjia Xiehui 北京東方收藏家協會, ed. 1996. Zhonghua shoucang da cidian 中華收藏大辭典, 32. Beijing: Beijing Yanshan chubanshe.
Li Xueqin 李學勤, and Lü Wenyu 呂文郁, eds. 1996. Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典, vol. 1, 1506. Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe.
Qi Tinggui 戚廷貴, Li Xiaoyan 劉孝嚴, and Tang Shufan 唐樹凡, eds. 1992. Dong-Xifang yishu cidian 東西方藝術辭典, 193. Changchun: Jilin jiaoyu chubanshe.
Liu Chenglun 劉成倫. 2018. "Jin you du zhong: Yang Bin Dapiao oubi ji qi shufa shenmei sixiang chutan “勁”有獨鐘──楊賓《大瓢偶筆》及其書法審美思想初探." Shufa 書法 2018 (11): 62-65.
Sui Bangping 隋邦平. 2005. "Dapiao oubi yu Yang Bin de shuxueguan 《大瓢偶筆》與楊賓的書學觀." Leshan Shifan Xueyuan xuebao 樂山師範學院學報 2005 (9): 113-115.
Wang Chunjing 王春景. 2021. "Run ze sheng: Yang Bin Dapiao oubi ji qi shuxue sixiang tanxi 潤則生──楊賓《大瓢偶筆》及其書學思想探析." Shufa shangping 書法賞評 2021 (2): 43-45.