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Mochibian 墨池編

Mar 8, 2023 © Ulrich Theobald

Mochibian 墨池編 "About the ink pond" is a book on calligraphy written during the Northern Song period 北宋 (960-1126) by Zhu Changwen 朱長文 (1039-1098), courtesy name Boyuan 伯原, from Wuxian 吳縣 (today's Suzhou 蘇州, Jiangsu). He was a famous calligrapher and wrote the books Wujun tujing xuji 吳郡圖經續記, Caipu yugao 采圃餘稿 and Xu shuduan 續書斷. He was erudite of the National University (taixue boshi 太學博士) and proofreader of the Palace Library (mishusheng zhengzi 秘書省正字).

His book of 6 juan length (in oder versions 12 or 20) is divided into eight chapters expounding the style of Chinese characters (Zixue 字學), methods of the brush (Bifa 筆法), various discourses (Zayi 雜議), classification (Pinzao 品藻), laudation (Zanshu 贊述), collection (Baozang 寶藏), stele inscriptions (Beike 碑刻), and tools (Qiying 器用).

The book quotes extensively from older sources, like Yu Jianwu's 庾肩吾 (487-551) Shuping 書評 (Shupin 書品), Emperor Wu's 梁武帝 (r. 502-549) Shuping 書評, Li Sizhen's 李嗣真 (?-696) Houhuapin 後畫品, Zhang Huaiguan's 張懷瓘 (c. 730) Shuduan 書斷 or Dou Xi's 竇息 (fl. 769) Shushufu 述書賦. The chapter on stele inscriptions lists numerous titles and sites of documents. In all versions of the book, a supplementary list of inscriptions from the Song to the mid-Ming period 明 (1368-1644) is added.

The chapter on tools includes statements on brushes, ink-stones, paper, and ink, and is Zhu Changwen's genuine writing. Apart from quoting sources in the first five fascicles, Zhu also critically comments on them and highlights the most important aspects. The whole book is thus a valuable collection of knowledge of calligraphy, and surpasses Zhang Yanyuan's 張彥遠 (mid-8th cent.) Fashu yaolu 法書要錄 in depth and insight.

The book is included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書.

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 (Beijing: Beijing Yanshan chubanshe), 29.
Chen Zhiping 陳志平 (2014). "Xin famxian Ming Hengye Zhoucaotang chaoben Mochibian jianzheng 新發現明橫野洲草堂抄本《墨池編》檢證", Wenxian 文獻, 2014 (3): 15-21.
Chen Zhiping 陳志平 (2019). "Ming keben Mochibian banben yuanliu kaoshu 明刻本《墨池編》版本源流考述", Wenyi yanjiu 文藝研究, 2019 (8): 140-156.
Chen Zhiping 陳志平 (2020). "Mochibian wenxian laiyuan ji xiangguan wenti kaoshu 《墨池編》文獻來源及相關問題考述", Shufa yanjiu 書法研究, 2020 (2): 68-92.
Chen Zhiping 陳志平 (2022). "Mochibian de xueli fenlei he gudian shuxue zhishi puxi de shengcheng 《墨池編》的學理分類和古典“書學”知識譜系的生成", Shufa yanjiu 書法研究, 2022 (3): 32-66.
Hou Zhanhu 侯占虎 (1996). "Mochibian 墨池編", in Zhou Gucheng 周谷城, ed. Zhongguo xueshu mingzhu tiyao 中國學術名著提要, Vol. Yishu 藝術卷 (Shanghai: Fudan daxue chubanshe), 477.
Li Yifan 李一帆 (2019). "Lun Mochibian de shufa jiaoyu gongneng 論《墨池編》的書法教育功能", Shuhua shijie 書畫世界, 2019 (6): 83-84.
Liu Heng 劉恒 (1993). "Mochibian 墨池編", in Ru Xin 汝信, ed. Shijie baike zhuzuo cidian 世界百科著作辭典 (Beijing: Zhongguo gongren chubanshe), 361.
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文郁, eds. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe), Vol. 2, 1801.
Wang Yuchi 王玉池 (1992). "Mochibian 墨池編", in Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, part Meishu 美術 (Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), Vol. 1, 574.
Wu Feng 吳楓, ed. (1987). Jianming Zhongguo guji cidian 簡明中國古籍辭典 (Changchun: Jilin wenshi chubanshe), 926.