OBiZCOWES JTITHENAEOM, &' cr CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY The characterslui ("to write"), from the hanging scroll by ShihK'o-fa (no. 76) Tseng Yu-ho Ecke HINESE CALLIGRAPHY David R. Godine in association with Museum Art Philadelphia of David R. Godine Publisher Boston, Massachusetts Copyright 1971 by the Philadelphia Museum ofArt Printed in the United States ofAmerica Library of Congress Catalog Card Number- 75-161453 International Standard Book Number: 0-87923-072-x Third Printing Preface Fewforms ofexpression inthelong history ofthe visualartsrequirethedepthofvisual sophistication needed to understand Chinese calligraphy. It is an ancient art with subtle traditions. At its best, calligraphy is an art in which the form ofthe expression must be in absolute harmony with the concept being presented; in its execution, the brilliance ofthe artist may have full expression. With today's new curiosity about China and its culture, America has probably never been so ready for an exhibition presenting the evolution ofthis great art form. More important, the steadily growing concern nurtured by the succession of each day's franticpressuresthatleads greaternumbersofpeopletoseekrespiteinmysticaloutlooks, creates greaterreceptivitytothe intricaciesofcalligraphicart. Most important, however, the development ofAmerican art in the years since the Second World War has created a much broader acceptance ofan art that is essentially abstract in its manner and its meaning. Thus the Philadelphia Museum ofArt has decided to gather these works together to present a history ofChinese calligraphy and, through the catalogue, to create a more general awareness ofits aesthetic attitudes. The Museum's Curator ofFar Eastern Art, MissJean Gordon Lee, has carried the responsibility for the creation ofthis exhibition. Working closely with Mrs. Tseng Yu-ho Ecke, she has studied the great body of material that is to be found inthe United States, assessing its quality, andchoosing some one hundred examples to suggest the brilliance ofthis great tradition. The exhibition owes a great deal to Mrs. Ecke. Her scholarship in the field ofcallig- raphy—clearly evident in this catalogue—is beyond doubt supported by her own brilliance as a painter. Indeed, she wrote the calligraphy that adorns the cover ofthis catalogue. The distinguished collector, Mr. John M. Crawford,Jr., has been notably generous in his support; repeatedly his enthusiasm has provided welcome encouragement. The Museum owes a great debt ofthanks to him and the other lenders. Each lender realizes how important time is as a factor in the enjoyment ofdistinguished calligraphy. Being abletoseewithleisureeachofthesetreasures inabroadercontextwilladdimmeasurably to the appreciation ofits particular quality. Evan H. Turner Director Lenders to the Exhibition The Art Institute ofChicago The Art Museum, Princeton University Center ofAsian Art and Culture, The Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco The Cleveland Museum ofArt John M. Crawford, New York Jr., Professor and Mrs. Gustav Ecke, Honolulu Field Museum ofNatural History, Chicago Honolulu Academy ofArts Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Litaker, Honolulu Los Angeles County Museum ofArt The Metropolitan Museum ofArt, New York Museum ofFine Arts, Boston Nelson Gallery-Atkins Museum, Kansas City Philadelphia Museum ofArt Portland Art Museum, Oregon Private collection, Honolulu Colonel and Mrs. Edward W. Rosenbaum, Rydal, Pennsylvania Seattle Art Museum Laurence Sickman, Kansas City Colonel and Mrs. Tong-lao, Honolulu The University ofMichigan Museum ofArt, Ann Arbor Wango H. C. Weng Collection, New York