Yutang jinjing 玉堂禁經

Yutang jinjing 玉堂禁經 "The secret script of the Jade Hall" is an essay on specific issues of brush strokes written during the early Tang period 唐 (618-907) by Zhang Huaiguan 張懷瓘 (mid-8th cent.) from Hailing 海陵 (today's Taixian 泰縣, Jiangsu), who is more famous for his book Shuduan 書斷.

It analyses the styles and achievements of famous calligraphers like Zhong Yao 鍾繇 (151-230), Zhang Zhi 張芝 (d. 192), Wang Xizhi 王羲之 (303–361), Wang Xianzhi 王獻之 (344-386) and Ouyang Xun 歐陽詢 (557-641) and brings their works into a kind of heritage tradition. By detailing the styles and methods, distinguishing their designations, carefully differentiating their characteristics, and explaining their functions, the text comprehensively and thoroughly covers the subtleties of brush techniques, explains the dynamics of strokes, and elucidates nuances of brush control.

The text begins the chapter "Use of the brush" (Yongbifa 用筆法) with an emphasis of formal instruction and adherence to established standards in calligraphy. It suggests that without proper guidance and consistent methods, achieving mastery and understanding the deeper aspects of the art is not possible. However, the essence of calligraphy cannot be confined to a single approach, and the momentum of the brush (yong bi zhi shi 用筆之勢) cannot be generalised. One important method is the "Eight methods of the character 永" (yong zi ba fa 永字八法), which encompasses the eight basic brushstrokes illustrated in the character 永. The essay provides a detailed discussion of various brush techniques and indicates how to execute them. They are the "side stroke" ce 側 (dot; not too horizontal), the "pressing stroke" le 勒 (not too horizontal), the "pulling stroke" nu 弩 (not too vertically straight), the "flicking stroke" ti 趯 (with a hooked tip), the "pushing stroke" ce 策 (with the backward side of the brush), the "sweeping stroke" lüe 掠 (with a tail), the "nibbling stroke" zhuo 啄 (written at a flat angle), and the chopping stroke zhe 磔 (with a lively movement).

The second method consisted of the five momentums (wushi fa 五勢法) to be applied in unison to give characters their shape. These were edgy enclosures (gouguo 鈎裹) like in the character men 門, edgy protrusions (gounu 鈎努) like in dao 刀, coiled strokes (gunbi 袞筆) like in the dot 丶, "servant strokes" (taibi 儓筆) like vertical parts 丨, and "arousing strokes" (fenbi 奮筆) like in horizontal parts 一.

The third basic method is the nine momentums (jiushi fa 九勢法) applied using the brush with variations in wrist movement to create dynamic effects, resulting in characters with no fixed or standardised form. These are the interrupted brushstroke (dunbi 頓筆), the downpressed brushstroke (cuobi 挫筆), the controlled brush tip (yufeng 馭鋒), the inclined brush tip (dunfeng 蹲鋒), the retained brush tip (cunfeng {足存} 鋒), the dripping brush tip (nüfeng 衄鋒), the hopping brush tip (tifeng 趯鋒), the pressed-down brush tip (anfeng 按鋒), and the lifted brush (jiebi 揭筆).

The next part of the essay is dedicated to alternative shapes of character parts that are dictated by both the whole character and the writing style. Zhang gives examples of the bottom-placed fire radical 灬 (ch. Liehuo yishi 烈火異勢), the left-placed water radical 氵 (Sanshui yifa 散水異法), the horizontal stroke (Lefa yishi 勒法異勢), the stroke upwards to the right (Cebian yishi 策變異勢), three horizontal lines (Sanhua yishi 三畫異勢), the slant from top-right to left-bottom (Zhuizhan yishi 啄展異勢), the long hook (Yijiao yishi 乙腳異勢), the roof cover (miantou yishi 宀頭異勢), the hooked slant to the right (Yige yishi 倚戈異勢), the character "face" (Yejiao yishi 頁腳異勢) and the "pending needle" (Chuizhen yishi 垂針異勢).

The following chapter, Jieguofa 結裹法, expounds several methods to end or "close" a character, depending on the composition and the appearance of components of the character. The author underscores the importance of mastering multiple aspects of calligraphy—brush technique, structural understanding, and composition—suggesting that true mastery comes from the harmonious integration of all three elements.

The last chapter, Shujue 書訣, is an excerpt from Wang Sengqian's 王僧虔 (425–485) Biyi zan 筆意贊.

The full text of Zhang's essay is quoted in the book Liuyi zhiyi lu 六藝之一錄 and is included in the series Lidai shufa lunwen xuan 歷代書法論文選.