Study On Mi Fu’s Seal Script From The Perspective Of Epigraphy In The Northern Song Dynasty

Mi Fu was one of the four calligraphers in the Song Dynasty of China.His achievements in writing were recognized by the general public and had a far-reaching influence.His seal script has strong stylistic features,but has been ignored for a long time.In order to enrich the understanding of the artistic image of Mi Fu calligraphy,this paper makes a special study on Mi Fu’s seal script from the perspective of epigraphy in the Northern Song Dynasty.Mi Fu was not a special scholar of the epigraphy,but he had very close contact with epigraphy scholars in the same period,extremely love and worship antiquities.The study of this phenomenon is also helpful to expand the depth and width of epigraphy in the Song Dynasty.This paper makes the following efforts in several aspects:Firstly,it analyzes the achievements of Mi Fu’s calligraphy and the reasons for the marginalization of seal script status.Su Shi and Huang Tingjian,who were contemporaries with Mi Fu,had accurate evaluation of Mi fu’s calligraphy.Fully exploring the value of these materials and understanding the exquisite words or vocabulary is very helpful to deeply understand Mi Fu’s level of calligraphy and Mi Fu’s position in the calligraphy circles of the Song Dynasty.By comparing Mi Fu’s running scripts,cursive scripts and regular scripts,we know that Mi Fu is good at running scripts.In contrast,Mi Fu seal script is also excluded from the main stream,which is the fundamental reason for the marginalization of Mi Fu’s seal script status.Secondly,it combs the influence of the prosperity of epigraphy in Northern Song Dynasty on Mi Fu’s seal script.With the respect for civil officials,the suppression of military officers and the development of elite culture in the Northern Song Dynasty,epigraphy emerged as the times require.Historians rely on epigraphy and inscriptions to confirm documentation and supplement the absence of ancient history.Philologists use it to research the origin of characters.Collectors and connoisseurs of antiques use it for collecting,playing and trading.Artists value its shape and ornamentation,or its calligraphy.In the Song Dynasty,there were a lot of writings on epigraphy studies,of which the important ones were Ouyang Xiu’s "Collection of Ancient Records and Postscript",Lu Dalin’s "Archaeological Map",Xue Shanggong’s "Recognition of Yi Ware in Zhongding of Past Dynasties",Hong Shi’s "Li Shi and Li Xu",Wang Fu’s "The Ancient Painting",Zhao Mingcheng’s "Epigraphy Record",etc.Mi Fu fellowship with epigraphy scholars,exchanged academic,and participated in the antique collection,play and read tripod inscription rubbings,produced a calligraphic thought of "Seal Script Atmosphere".Finally,it analyzes Mi Fu’s calligraphic thought of worshiping the ancient and cherishing innocence,the seal script thoughts of Ding Ming Miao Gu and Zhu Yu Xing Qi,and the seal scripts characteristics of unique and well-defined,well blended and flexible writings.Mi Fu’s seal script is different from the main stream and has the purview of elegance and simplicity.Its expression and thought of elegance and simplicity are similar to those of Deng Shiru,Wu Rangzhi and Zhao Zhiqian in Qing Dynasty.To survey Mi Fu’s seal script from the perspective of development and change may be a treasure to be discovered for the contemporary.