Shuji 書輯

Shuji 書輯 "Compilation on Calligraphy" is a book on calligraphy written during the early Ming period by Lu Shen 陸深 (1410-1472), originally named Rong 榮, courtesy name Ziyuan 子淵, and styled Yanshan 儼山, from Shanghai 上海. He held the position of a Hanlin academician (Hanlin xueshi 翰林學士). His own calligraphy was influenced by Li Beihai 李北海 (Li Yong 李邕; 674-746) and Zhao Mengfu 趙孟頫 (1254-1322). His collected works are titled Yanshan ji 儼山集 and Yanshan waiji 儼山外集.

The book Shuji, consisting of 3 juan, summarises the most essential aspects of calligraphy. The first part (Shangji 上輯) is divided into four sections: Shutong 述通 "Expository understanding", which compiles earlier discussions on character types and various calligraphic styles; Diantong 典通 "Understanding of the canons", featuring excerpts from past writings on cultivating the mind and spirit, emphasising the notion that artistic intention precedes brushwork; Shitong 釋通 "Interpretative understanding"; and Bilun 筆論, which presents theories on brushwork, providing insights into techniques such as finger technique (zhifa 指法), wrist technique (wanfa 腕法), hand technique (shoufa 手法), "blood methods" (xuefa 血法), "bone methods" (gufa 骨法), "tendon methods" (jinfa 筋法), "flesh methods" (roufa 肉法), and "tube methods" (管法).

The middle part (Zhongji 中輯) comprises a single chapter titled Tiwei 體位 "Structural Positions", which outlines the "eight principles of the [individual brush strokes of the] character yong (Yong zi ba fa 永字八法), the Twenty-seven Methods of Stroke Execution (Yunshi ershiqi fa 運使二十七法), and the Five Principles of Character Structure (Jiegou zhi wu fa 結構之五法). The latter represents a comprehensive system of spatial arrangement and balance in calligraphy. This section functions as a detailed guide to structuring Chinese characters, ensuring aesthetic harmony, proportion, and fluidity in calligraphy.

The final part (Xiaji 下輯) consists of a single chapter, Gujinxun 古今訓 "Ancient and modern teachings", which compiles thirty-five selected statements from past scholars on calligraphy. These excerpts cover various aspects, including brush techniques (yongbi 用筆), copying and imitation (linmo 臨摹), seal script (zhuanfa 篆法), clerical script (lifa 隸法), "grass script" (caofa 草法), and regular script (kaifa 楷法).

At the end of the book, descriptions of sixteen model calligraphy works (fatie shiliu zhong 法帖十六種) are included, accompanied by brief yet insightful critiques presenting unique perspectives.

Although the book lists 142 referenced works at the beginning, it does not provide detailed citations throughout the text. In reality, most of the selected excerpts come from well-known and commonly referenced texts. This raises doubts about the book's claim that it "gathers the essence of a hundred generations" (lan bai dai zhi jinghua 覽百代之菁華), as it may have overstated its originality and depth of sourcing.

The text is included in the Yanshan waiji, which is also found in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書.