Gushuhualinmofuzhijiyi
01 · Historical Records
The copying and replication of ancient calligraphy and painting at the Palace Museum began with the establishment of its artefact restoration workshop. A group of eminent masters of painting and calligraphy—including Jin Zhongyu, Zheng Zhuyou, Feng Zhonglian, Jin Yumin, and Chen Linzhai—were successively engaged to enter the imperial palace, where they meticulously copied, one by one, the national-treasure-level works of calligraphy and painting held in the palace collection. These copies served both as references for scholarly study and, in turn, as accessioned cultural relics; thus, from its inception, this craft has been bound together with the work of collection and preservation.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Palace Museum established an artefact restoration workshop and engaged masters such as Jin Zhongyu, Zheng Zhuyou, Feng Zhonglian, Jin Yumin, and Chen Linzhai to enter the palace and copy the national-treasure-level calligraphy and painting relics in its collection. Their works include Feng Zhonglian's copy of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" and "Lady Guo Guoguo on a Spring Outing"; Jin Zhongyu's copies of Zhao Ji's "Listening to the Qin," Guo Xi's "Distant Mountains on Bare Rocks," and Cui Bai's "Sparrows on a Cold Branch"; Chen Linzhai's copies of "Han Xizai's Night Banquet" and Hu Huan's "Nomads at Rest" and "Flowers, Bamboo, and Golden Pheasants"; as well as Liu Bingsen's copy of the Western Han silk painting unearthed at Mawangdui—many of these copies have themselves been accessioned into the Palace Museum's collection as cultural relics. The technique of copying ancient calligraphy and painting mainly comprises tracing the draft, applying ink, colouring, aging the surface, and replicating the inscription and seals. Throughout the replication process, only traditional craftsmanship and traditional materials are used, so that the resulting work approximates the original as closely as possible.
Tracing the outline
The opening stage, tracing outlines, texture strokes and structure; its accuracy governs the character of the whole copy.
Inking
Tones are laid over the tracing following the original brushwork; uneven ink destroys the spirit of the copy at once.
Colouring
Colour is built up layer by layer to match the original scheme, dense enough not to clog and pale enough not to starve.
Ageing the copy
Once finished the copy is aged so that its paper, ink and overall tone sit close to the original and betray no newness.
Copying inscriptions and seals
Colophons and seals are copied with equal care, matching the size, position and texture of the original impressions using traditional materials.
Feng Zhonglian's copy of Along the River During the Qingming Festival
Feng Zhonglian copied the Qingming scroll and Spring Outing of the Guo Lady, Jin Zhongyu copied Huizong, Guo Xi and Cui Bai, and such copies entered the Palace Museum's collection.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The master-apprentice lineage of copying is concentrated entirely within the Palace Museum. The tracing of drafts, application of ink, colouring, surface aging, and the replication of inscriptions and seals are each undertaken by dedicated specialists, passed down from one generation to the next. Zu E passing the craft to Chen Lu, and Guo Wenlin to Zhang Rui and Ju Jianwei, are both transmissions along this line. The hall plaques and couplets among the copies—such as those at the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe), Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghe), and Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohe)—differ in method from scroll-type works; in their replication, the dimensions must also be made to suit the architectural setting on site.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The traditional manual technique of copying and replicating ancient Chinese calligraphy and painting is an important traditional handicraft of our country, with a long history and a clear lineage of transmission. For a long time, copying precious early editions of ancient calligraphy and painting has been an important means of transmitting the art of ancient Chinese calligraphy and painting and its techniques. Within the Palace Museum, these masters passed on the craft and trained a group of copyist masters including Liu Bingsen, contributing to China's cause of cultural relic preservation. At present, the professional technicians engaged in the copying and replication of ancient calligraphy and painting at the Palace Museum are aging, and the transmission of the craft faces certain difficulties. Zu E (per official archive of the associated inheritor): Female, Han ethnicity, born March 1956, a native of Beijing. Representative inheritor of the fourth national-level batch of the intangible cultural heritage item "Technique of Copying and Replicating Ancient Calligraphy and Painting." Copied and replicated such works as Tang-dynasty Lu Lengjia's "Six Arhats"; Song-dynasty Zhang Zeduan's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival"; Song-dynasty Li Gonglin's "Vimalakirti Preaching"; Yuan-dynasty Zhao Mengfu's "Elegant Gathering"; Ming-dynasty Chen Hongshou's "Lotus and Mandarin Ducks"; and Qing-dynasty Yuan Jiang's "Penglai Immortal Island" and Chen Mei's "Monthly Manners of the Qing Court." Has written numerous papers and led the research project "Study on Substitute Materials for Alum in the Restoration, Copying, and Photographic Reproduction of Ancient Calligraphy and Painting." Has taken on the training of new practitioners and instructed the apprentice Chen Lu. Guo Wenlin (per official archive of the associated inheritor): Male, Manchu ethnicity, born March 1953, a native of Beijing. Representative inheritor of the fifth national-level batch of the intangible cultural heritage item "Technique of Copying and Replicating Ancient Calligraphy and Painting." Has worked in the copying and replication of ancient calligraphy and painting for forty years. His representative copied and replicated works include the Western Han "Mawangdui Silk Painting"; Tang-dynasty Zhang Xuan's "Lady Guo Guoguo on a Spring Outing"; Song-dynasty Zhao Ji's "Listening to the Qin"; Ming-dynasty Tang Yin's "Palace Ladies of Mengshu"; Qing-dynasty Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining)'s "Album of Flowers"; Qing-dynasty Ignaz Sichelbarth (Ai Qimeng)'s "Ten Steeds"; as well as the plaque couplets of the Palace Museum's Halls of Taihe, Zhonghe, and Baohe. He has twice travelled to Hong Kong to exhibit his copies. Author of "Fundamentals of Calligraphy and Painting Copying Techniques." Attaches importance to the transmission of the craft and has instructed apprentices including Zhang Rui and Ju Jianwei.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Zu E 04-1930
- Guo Wenlin 05-2885
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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