Yi-Xia Distinction and Cultural Identity in the Reception of Calligraphy in the Northern Dynasties

Zhang Xingcheng

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Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art ›› 2024, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (6) : 79-89.

Issue in Focus: Studies on Chinese Art History

Yi-Xia Distinction and Cultural Identity in the Reception of Calligraphy in the Northern Dynasties

Zhang Xingcheng

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Abstract

The fluctuating recognition of Northern dynasties' calligraphy within Chinese calligraphic history stems not only from aesthetic considerations but also from complex cultural identity issues, which profoundly reflects the interaction between calligraphy and cultural politics. The Tang dynasty's reverence for Wang Xizhi and the trend toward “southernization” in calligraphic studies initiated the decline of Northern dynasties' calligraphy, while the Song Dynasty's rejection of Wei steles and related Northern styles reflected the orthodoxy of Jin and Tang, based on the Yi-Xia distinction and the divide between civilization and barbarism. Since the mid-to-late Qing dynasty, the transformation of academic thought, the demands of realistic cultural politics, and particularly the adjustment of Yi-Xia perspective in Qing scholars' studies of the Spring and Autumn Annals transformed the Qing people's view of Northern dynasties' calligraphy. Key thinkers like Ruan Yuan and Kang Youwei were central to this reevaluation, infusing Northern dynasties' calligraphy with new meanings such as “communicating with antiquity” and “transforming antiquity,” which disrupted the prevailing cultural hierarchies of south versus north, cultured versus uncultured, and Xia (Han culture) versus Yi (non-Han cultures) in calligraphic discourse. Emerging from the cultural-political contexts of the Tang, Song, and Qing dynasties, Northern dynasties' calligraphy became a paradigmatic style, which formed a distinct lineage within Chinese calligraphic history. Tracing the reception history of Northern Dynasties' calligraphy would deepen our understanding of the cultural-political psychological structures behind aesthetic values and critical norms in Chinese calligraphy.

Key words

Yi-Xia distinction / Northern dynasties' calligraphy / Wei steles / cultural identity / Ruan Yuan / Kang Youwei

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Zhang Xingcheng. Yi-Xia Distinction and Cultural Identity in the Reception of Calligraphy in the Northern Dynasties[J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2024, 44(6): 79-89

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