First, Zhong You's "Recommended Season Direct Table"
Highlight: The "Recommended Season Straight Table" is simple and broad, with a flat body and proper limit. Although there are many immature places, the structure is not as neat as that of Jin and Tang Dynasties, but it is full of fun and colorful, which is a microcosm of the evolution of Chinese characters from official script to regular script.
Zhong You was a calligrapher of Wei in the Three Kingdoms period and was deeply respected by Mrs. Wei, Wang Xizhi's first teacher. It is said that Zhong You was the founder of regular script (lower case) and was honored as "the originator of regular script" by later generations. Zhong You had a great influence on later calligraphy. Both he and Wang Xizhi are called "Zhong Wang". Zhong You's calligraphy style is mainly regular script, official script and running script.
Second, Zhong You's declaration form
Recommended reason: Compared with Zhong You's other works, the Declaration Form shows a more mature posture and breath of regular script in brushwork and structure. The font is simple, broad and flat, which fully shows the artistic characteristics of regular script that is maturing in Wei and Jin Dynasties.
Legend has it that Wang Dao took the declaration slip in his belt, and later passed it on to Wang Xizhi, and Wang Xizhi passed it on to Wang Xiu. He took the declaration slip into the grave and never saw the light of day. Later, Wang Xizhi's manuscripts were handed down.
Third, Wang Xizhi's theory of music and Yi
Recommended reason: If Zhong You's small script in the Three Kingdoms period was the embryonic form of regular script, then by Wang Xizhi's On Le Yi in the Jin Dynasty, regular script had reached maturity. Le Yi Lun is meticulous in brushwork and mature in composition. Shi Zhiyong believes that On Yue Yi is the first official work of Wang Xizhi.
It is said that the most precious books are Wang Xizhi's Preface to Lanting and Yue Lun Yi. At that time, Emperor Taizong also gave the original of Le Yi Lun to Sun Chang Wuji, Fang Lingxuan, Gao Shilian, Hou, Wei Zhi and Yang Shidao respectively, and the distribution scope of this book was limited to royalty or ministers, which was rare in the world.
Fourth, Wang Xizhi's "The Monument to the Filial Daughter Cao E"
Recommended reason: Cao Ebei has a flat structure. Compared with other small calligraphy works handed down by Wang Xizhi, the strokes of this tablet are more stretched, which is more obvious in paintings with horizontal strokes. The brushwork of official script is hidden between strokes and structure.
Cao E Monument was built in the Eastern Han Dynasty to commemorate Cao E's filial piety. Modern calligrapher Fei commented on the tablet: "The original tablet has been lost for a long time and spread to the Eastern Jin Dynasty for two years. Wang Xizhi wrote Cao E tablet in small letters. It is included in "Qunyutang Post" and "Yuezhou Shishi Post", which is one of the famous lower case letters in Jin and Tang Dynasties.