Xue'an ziyao 雪庵字要

Xue'an ziyao 雪庵字要, also known as Xue'an dazi shufa 雪庵大字書法, meaning "The calligraphy of large characters from Snow Studio", is a book on calligraphy written during the Yuan period 元 (1279-1368) by Li Puguang 李溥光, courtesy name Xuanhui 玄暉, style Xue'an 雪庵, from Datong 大同 in Shanxi. In his youth, he was a Buddhist monk, but he gained great renown for his expertise in the regular style of calligraphy with large characters (kaishu dazi 楷書大字). As a result, he was appointed Grand Academician of the Hall of Illustrious Literature (Zhaowenguan daxueshi 昭文館大學士) and was granted the title of Grand Master of Enlightening the Mysteries (Xuanwu Dashi 玄悟大師). His own epithet was Dhyāna Master of Perfect Enlightenment, Compassion, and Wisdom (Yuanwu Cihui Chanshi 圓悟慈慧禪師).

The text is divided into several sections: "Principles of calligraphy with cloth" (Zuojin ziyuan 捽襟字原), "On large characters" (Dazi shuo 大字説), "Critique of large characters" (Dazi ping 大字評), mnemonic verses (Gejue 歌訣), "The Eight Principles of the Character yong" (Yong zi bafa shuo 永字八法説), and illustrations (Tujie 圖解). The book includes original writings by the author alongside excerpts from other works.

The section Zuojin ziyuan records the words of the calligrapher Zhang Xu 張旭 (685-759). The term zuojin (捽襟) originally referred to dipping the hem of one's robe in ink for writing, but later evolved into a method of using cloth to create large characters. The section Dazi shuo is an original work by the author, emphasising strict adherence to calligraphic rules, particularly the Eight Principles of the character yong. The author argues that one should first practise small, proper regular script to avoid issues such as imbalance and sluggish strokes. Only after mastering small characters should one gradually progress to larger ones—a view that contrasts with the common belief that one should begin with large characters before learning small ones. Li asserts that large characters exude a sense of regal dignity, appearing solemn and majestic, with an aura of authority and depth.

The section Dazi ping cites a commentary by Bei Ziqiang 貝自強, summarising the calligraphic styles of figures such as Yu Shinan 虞世南 (558-638), Liu Gongquan 柳公權 (778-865), Zhang Ji 張繼 (c. 715-779), and Mi Fu 米芾 (1051-1107). These critiques provide brief yet insightful descriptions of each calligrapher’s artistic approach and methods of learning calligraphy.

The mnemonic verses section aids in remembering methods of pen holding, brush usage, cloth handling, techniques for writing with cloth, the six methods of writing with cloth, the Eight Methods (bafa 八法, i.e., standard strokes), the Thirty-Two forms (sanshi'er xingshi 三十二形勢), the "Eight Virtues" (bashan 八善), the "Eight Aesthetic Qualities" (bamei 八美), the "Eight Taboos" (baji 八忌), the "Eight Flaws" (babing 八病), and principles of refinement and selection. The term pen holding (babi 把筆) refers to the grip of the brush, encompassing eight techniques: placement (luo 落), lifting (qi 起), movement (zou 走), pause (zhu 住), stacking (die 疊), enclosing (wei 圍), turning (hui 回), and concealing (cang 藏). The Thirty-Two Forms are derivates of the Eight Methods for writing the character yong and their variations, offering a structured approach to mastering calligraphic strokes composition. The Eight Methods of the Character yong (永字八法) are fundamental calligraphic strokes, each with an alternate name:

These eight fundamental strokes further evolve into twenty-four additional techniques, like xuanzhu 懸珠 "hanging pearl", chuizhu 垂珠 "drooping pearl" or longzhua 龍爪 "dragon claw", resulting in a total of thirty-two forms. These elements provide a comprehensive system for mastering calligraphic form and movement.

The Eight Taboos refer to common mistakes: careless variation in ink intensity and spacing, disregard for proportion, as well as strokes that are weak and soft, crude, scattered, or slanted. The Eight Flaws describe undesirable stroke qualities, such as niutou 牛頭 "ox head" – overly thick and heavy strokes, shuwei 鼠尾 "rat tail" – excessively thin and weak strokes, or fengyao 蜂腰 "bee waist" – inconsistent tapering. The Illustrations section includes diagrams for various techniques, such as holding the pen, handling cloth, the thirty-two forms, the eight flaws, and the sixteen grids (shiliu zige tu 十六字格圖) – a structural guide for character composition and spacing. Although some may perceive the mnemonic names in the verses as contrived or overly elaborate, their accompanying diagrams help clarify these concepts, making them more concrete. Consequently, this section serves as a crucial part of the book, visually reinforcing the principles outlined in text.

The text is included in the series Hanfenlou miji 涵芬樓秘笈.