Prefaces to the Sacred Teachings and the Heart Sutra in running script

Object Details

• Artist

  Writing by Wang Xizhi 王羲之 (ca. 303-ca. 361)

  Assembled by Huairen (mid- to late 7th century)

• Label

  The Tang emperor Taizong (reigned 626–649) was a great admirer of the works of Wang Xizhi (303–361), who was known as the Calligraphy Sage. For his Preface to the Secret Teaching, Emperor Taizong ordered the monk Huairen to assemble a complete set of Wang Xizhi’s characters from authentic works preserved in the imperial collection. Some of Wang’s original characters obviously were in different sizes, and when no equivalent ones were available, Huairen constructed them from component parts of several different characters. Although the entire composition is not visually unified, the general calligraphic style does provide an invaluable compendium of Wang Xizhi’s characters in the mid-seventh century. Emperor Taizong commanded this script be used in carving a stele in honor of the great monk Xuanzang (600–664). Now housed in the Stele Forest Museum in Xi’an, Shannxi province, that commemorative stone remains a significant example of the stylistic development of Chinese calligraphy.

• Provenance

  To ?

  Peking University, Beijing, China. [1]

  From 1976

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Peking University, Beijing, China. [2]

  Notes:

  [1] According to the Curatorial Remark 5 in the object record, this rubbing was donated by Peking University, Beijing, China at an undetermined date.

  [2] According to Kate Theimer’s note from June 6, 1995, “This rubbing appears to have been given by the Peking University to the Freer Gallery of Art at an undetermined date prior to 1976. It was transferred from the Library to the permanent collection in 1976.”

  Also see object file, and the Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Writing, Carving and Rubbing: China’s Calligraphic Arts (April 4 to October 25, 2009)

  Chinese Art (February 18, 1983 to April 1, 1987)

  Chinese Art (March 15, 1982 to June 15, 1982)

  Chinese Calligraphy (April 18, 1977 to September 13, 1977)

  Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Peking University

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Peking University

• Type

  Rubbing

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  600s

• Name

  Peking University

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Heart Sutra, Art, Chinese Art, Rubbing, Tang dynasty (618 - 907), Lettering, Running script

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Rubbings