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Shushufu 述書賦 is a book on the history of calligraphy written during the Tang period 唐 (618-907) by Dou Xi 竇息 or Dou Ji 竇臮 (fl. 769), and annotated by his older brother Dou Meng 竇蒙, courtesy name Ziquan 子全. Recent arguments opt for the possibility that Dou Xi was the author and self-commentator of the book, while Dou Meng only played the role of a proofreader. Dou Xi, courtesy name Lingchang 靈長, from Fufeng 扶風 close to present-day Xi'an 西安, Shaanxi, was acting Vice Director in the Ministry of Revenue (jianjiao hubu yuanwailang 檢校戶部員外郎), counsellor to the military commissioner (jiedu canmou 節度參謀) of Song-Bian 宋汴, and finally Director supervising all functionaries in the Ministry of Justice (xingbu duguan langzhong 刑部都官郎中). Dou was a famous writer and calligrapher. Quite famous are his rhapsodies Datong fu 大同賦 and Sandian cuju fu 三殿蹴鞠賦 (on kickball). One of his calligraphic works was the stele inscription of Master Wei, Patriarch of the Three Caverns on Mt. Maoshan (Maoshan Sandong Jingzhao Fashi Wei Gong bei 茅山三洞景照法師韋公碑, also known as Huayang Sandong Jingzhao Dashi bei 華陽三洞景昭大師碑). Dou Meng was 試國子司業 and concurrently magistrate (xianling 縣令) of Taiyuan 太原.
Although the title of the book suggests that it was a rhapsody (fu 賦), the text with a length of 2 juan is very prosaic in classifying the artworks of famous calligraphers from the beginnings to the mid-Tang period, including the calligraphic works of Dou Meng and those of an anonymous female painter, younger sister of Liu Qin 劉秦 and wife of Master Ma 馬氏. It mentions and discusses the artworks of 198 persons. At the end of the two fascicles, a kind of appendix discusses coinoisseurs (zhuzheng 署證), seal inscriptions (yinji 印記), collectors (zhengqiu baowan 徵求寶玩), and art traders (litong maoyi 利通貿易).
The Shushufu is an extremely well-written account of calligraphic arts, and its notes are particularly elegant, precise and straightforward. It is a precise examination of the key points of calligraphy by its detailed discussion and advice for connoisseurs. The chapter on seal engravings incorporates characters incised on seals into the realm of calligraphy, and makes the book of the brothers Dou a veritable ancestor of Zhu Cunli's 朱存理 (1444-1513) Tiewang shanhu 鐵網珊瑚 or Zhang Chou's 張丑 (1577-1643) Qinghe shuhua fang 清河書畫舫.
The text of the book is included in Zhang Yanyuan's 張彥遠 (815-907) Fashu yaolu 法書要錄 and the series Jindai mishu 津逮秘書 and Siku quanshu 四庫全書.
| 皇唐四十五人：神堯皇帝、文武聖皇帝、則天武后、睿宗、今上開元皇帝、漢王元昌、岐王元範、李懷琳、歐陽詢、歐陽通、虞世南、虞纂、虞煥、褚遂良、陸柬之、薛稷、房玄齡、殷仲容、王知敬、王紹宗、孫過庭、張旭、賀知章、徐嶠之、徐浩、李造、韓擇木、田琦、衛包、蔡有鄰、鄭遷、李權、李樞、李平均、王維、王縉、史惟則、李陽冰、xxx 家舅繪、姨兄明若山、宋儋、李璆、蕭誠、張從申、呂向、長兄蒙、馬氏妻劉秦妹等，應親見者之所言。 | 45 painters of the August Tang: Emperor Shenyao (i.e. Tang Gaozu 唐高祖), Emperor Wenwu (i.e. Tang Taizong 唐太宗), Empress Wu Zetian, Emperor Ruizong, the present sovereign, Yuanchang Prince of Han, Yuanfan Prince of Qi, Li Huanlin, Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan, Yu Zuan, Yu Huan, Chu Suiliang, Lu Jianzhi, Xue Ji, Fang Xuanling, Yin Zhongrong, Wang Rujing, Wang Shaozong, Sun Guoting, Zhang Xu, He Zhizhang, Xu Qiaozhi, Xu Hao, Li Zao, Han Zemu, Tian Qi, Wei Bao, Cai Youlin, Zheng Qian, Li Quan, Li Shu, Li Pingjun, Wang Wei, Wang Jin, Shi Weize, Li Yangbing, [...] |
| 馬家劉氏，臨效逼斥。安西蘭亭，貌奪真跡。如宓妃遺形於巧素，再見如在之古昔。(翰林書人劉秦妹，歸馬氏。) | [The paintings of] Ms Liu, married Ma, have an effect very close to the original. Her "Orchid Pavilion of Anxi" has a shape very likely to the original. The way in which she brought Fu Xi's consort to the silken canvas is nearly reanimating this person of old. (The younger sister of Liu Qin, scribe in the Hanlin Academy, was married to Mr Ma.) |