Of the Use of Calligraphy in Sino-Javanese Communities (18th-Early 21st (original) (raw)

Calligraphic art was conceived by the Chinese as a technique allowing the acquisition of certain virtues, and the mastery of this art as a proof of eminent qualities. As stated by Yang Xiong 揚雄 (53 BC-18 CE), "Writing is the trace or the drawing of the mind" shu, xinhua ye 書, 心畫也." We can say that calligraphy had among literati, at least until the Tang 唐 period (7 th-10 th centuries), the functions of a quasi-religious asceticism. The Buddhist monk Zhiyong 智永 (seventh generation after Wang Xizhi 王羲之, 303-361), 2 who lived around 581, was renowned for his diligence in calligraphy. He is famous for having locked himself up in a temple for 30 years, and practiced this art every day. It is said that the worn-out brushes he used filled up several huge bamboo buckets, that he buried them, and gave this place the name of tui bi zhong 退筆塚, "Tomb of worn out brushes." He wrote out 800 copies of the Qianzi wen 千字文 or "Thousand * My thanks to Li Xiuxian 李秀贤 and Hu Sudan 胡素丹 who invited me to visit their Calligraphy and Painting Institute in Jakarta, where I met several other calligraphers, among whom Ruan Yuanchun 阮淵椿, and Peng Tao 彭濤. I am also grateful to Li Huizhu 李惠珠 for allowing me to visit her two workshops in Bandung, at Maranatha Christian University, and at Yayasan Dana Sosial Priyangan. Last but not least, I also thank Lucie Rault and Song Ge 宋鴿 for having read a previous version of this article, Leo Suryadinata and Kuo Liying 郭麗英 for having helped me solve a few language issues. 1. CNRS, Paris. 2. Wang Xizhi was traditionally referred to as the Sage of calligraphy, shusheng 書 聖; his master was Wei Shuo 衛鑠 (272-349), who belonged to a family of famous calligraphers, and was commonly addressed just as Lady Wei, or Wei furen 衛夫人.