Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg Zentrum für Ostasienwissenschaften Institut für Kunstgeschichte Ostasiens Postdoctoral Research Research Title: Philosophical Dimensions of Tang Calligraphic Treatises (7th-8th Centuries) Advisor: Prof. Dr. Sarah E. Fraser Researcher: Dr. Jingqing Xiang URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-artdok-59009 URL: http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/artdok/volltexte/2018/5900 DOI: 10.11588/artdok.00005900 Philosophical Dimensions of Tang Calligraphic Treatises Xiang Abstract This study discusses and explores Tang calligraphic theories from the 7th to 8th centuries in China from three perspectives: the definition of calligraphy’s position from the perspective of Confucianism, aesthetical concepts originating from Yi Jing, and major formulae provided by Taoist thinking. The purpose of this project is to study how Chinese traditional cultures influenced Tang calligraphic theories, and therefore to aid understanding of the profound implications of the Tang calligraphic treatises. The far-reaching aim of this proposal is to arrive at a historical understanding of the significance of traditional culture in the field of art practice and theory, to reveal the dominant paradigm of aesthetic norms and artistic conventions, and ultimately to constitute a scientific theoretical framework of Chinese aesthetics. The Confucian school had recovered and began to flourish at the beginning of Tang particularly when Five Confucian Classics and their Annotations were issued in 653 A.D. They were treated by the court as the imperial examination compendiums. The majority of artists and theorists in calligraphy were Confucian scholars in Tang, the same as other types of arts, for example literature, music and painting. Calligraphy was an important means to assess moral calibre; theorists believed calligraphy had an equal status with rituals and music. It seems that calligraphy served as a didactic tool for influencing ethics and desirable virtues, which also promoted the formation of the concept of harmony in calligraphic aesthetics. Yi Jing, the first Classic among Five Classics or Thirteen Classics, played a more significant role in calligraphic aesthetics than in painting, presumably because calligraphy has more abstraction in dots and lines than painting. Theorists regarded trigram and hexagram as a root of calligraphy based on the fact that calligraphy had an affinity with Yi Jing’s images i Philosophical Dimensions of Tang Calligraphic Treatises Xiang and its symbols. People could see the features of change in the strokes, structures, layout and stylistic forms of calligraphy through trigram and hexagram. One especially admires eminent calligraphers in the way they broke away from the constraints of conventional techniques and styles. This notion of change from Yi Jing embraces the reconciliation of hardness and softness in terms of calligraphy aesthetics as well. Calligraphy appears very abstract. Tang calligraphy theorists shed light on the dark (xuan) feature from the perspective of Taoism. They defined calligraphy as Shu Dao implicitly or explicitly. Calligraphy had some characteristics such as equable (yi), inaudible (xi), subtle (wei), dark (xuan), deep (shen) and inactive (wuwei), which the Dao also had. Taoism supplied major formulae, i.e. methodological ideas, through which one can see the abstraction (abstract nature) of calligraphy. The notion of Shu Dao as it pertains to Daoism implies calligraphy should follow the law of nature, thus it was thought to be better to practice in a natural way rather than a forced way, i.e. in naturalness, non-purposefulness or even spontaneity. According to Neo-Taoism, each individual had his own innate tendencies (innate nature), which was preordained, unchangeable, and could not be supplemented. As a result, one should follow their own innate tendencies while practising calligraphy. It was suggested that one could develop and perfect one’s own personal style by following their own inborn nature. Among the aforementioned, some viewpoints are debateable, such as the relationship between calligraphy and morality; the concepts of harmony, change, reconciliation of hardness and softness, taking the law from nature, following one’s innate tendencies and so forth are meaningful in the history of Chinese calligraphy. ii Philosophical Dimensions of Tang Calligraphic Treatises Xiang Acknowledgement I am deeply grateful to Prof. Dr. Sarah E. Fraser who accepted me as a post-doctoral researcher in the Institute of East Asian Art History of Heidelberg University. In 2016, before I was accepted, I had planned to turn to the study Chinese philosophy under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Tao Liang in Renmin University of China. Thanks to the guidance of Prof. Fraser, I have had the opportunity to continue researching the Tang calligraphic treatises in an international environment. I am also deeply indebted to Dr. Lianming Wang, who always goes above and beyond in helping me solve studying and accommodation issues. During this study, I have taken some courses given by Prof. Dr. Sarah E. Fraser, Prof. Dr. Melanie Trede, Dr. Mio Wakita and Dr. Lianming Wang. I was inspired by their teaching and gained extensive research experience. In completing this research, I have also received suggestions and encouragement from Prof. Dr. Lothar Ledderose, who also lent me some important books on Tang calligraphic treatises published in Japan and which were difficult to find. I also consulted Prof. Dr. Enno Giele about methodological issues in writings, for which I am deeply thankful as well. I would like to express my gratitude to Chinese Scholarship Council for granting me a prize fellowship including traveling costs that allowed me to concentrate on this study. The library of Institute of East Asian Art History provided me with many research sources for this project. I would like to acknowledge the librarians who assisted me a lot in finding books and electronic resources. Particularly I would thank the Institute that as a post- doctoral researcher I was granted a library key to access library sources at any time I wanted, which made my research very efficient. iii Philosophical Dimensions of Tang Calligraphic Treatises Xiang Many friends and scholars helped me a lot. Among them, I would like to acknowledge Xiao Yang, Li Ye, Quan Liu, Hua Wang and Bihe Huang in Heidelberg University; Jingwen Ba in Shenzhen, China; Qunhui Li at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Eric C. Mullis at Queens University of Charlotte in USA, and Pietro De Laurentis at Università degli Studi in Napoli and so on. I owe many appreciations to Zhili Xiong, Yuwei Xie, Borong Su and Shaokui Wang, who studied in Philosophy Seminar in Heidelberg University and allowed me to attend the Reading Club of Kant and Hegel. This has fostered a great progress in philosophical thinking. Lastly, I would like to express my sincere thanks to my wife Xinshu Wang and son Xuhan Xiang, who have endured a long-time separation from me. I dedicate this report to them for their assisting in accommodations, their understanding and supporting me as well. iv Philosophical Dimensions of Tang Calligraphic Treatises Xiang Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgement .......................................................................................................................... iii Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 i. Overview of Tang Calligraphic Treatises .......................................................................................... 1 ii. Philosophical Thoughts of Tang Calligraphic Treatises ................................................................... 6 iii. Tang Calligraphic Treatises in comparison to those in Pre-Tang Times ....................................... 10 iv. Influences on Subsequent Calligraphic Theories after Tang ........................................................ 15 Chapter 1 The Background of Tang Calligraphic Treatises............................................................. 18 § 1.1 The Practice of Tang Calligraphy .............................................................................................. 20 § 1.2 The Heritage of Previous Calligraphy Theories ........................................................................ 27 § 1.3 Cultures of Tang Dynasty ......................................................................................................... 40 Chapter 2 The Confucian Definition of Calligraphy........................................................................ 44 § 2.1 The Elevated Position of Calligraphy equal to Ritual and Music .............................................. 45 § 2.2 The Ethicized Criteria to Judge Calligraphy .............................................................................. 50 § 2.3 Harmony and Appropriateness ................................................................................................ 57 Chapter 3 Key Aesthetical Categories Originating from Yi Jing ..................................................... 62 § 3.1 The Foundation of Calligraphic Aesthetics: Trigrams .............................................................. 64 § 3.2 The Concept of Change ............................................................................................................ 71 § 3.3 The