<筆勢>の生れるところ : 魏晉より唐初に至る書論を中心に

Abstract

The word pi-shih 筆勢, which can be used in literary, calligraphic and pictorial criticisms, is formed by the words "brush" 筆 and shih 勢, and each of these concepts raises important issues. This paper is aimed at investigating these issues and reviewing those concepts found in calligraphic criticisms. Shih means basically "shape" or "status", while it may represent the structure in which some effect is caused by a certain shape or status. In calligraphic criticisms, shih means not only shapes of characters but also internal mightiness, which is similar to bone 骨 and might 力. When the strokes of characters exist as bodies 體 which have mass, they generate gravities within themselves, and the internal mightiness of shih is based on such gravities. Brush is an effective imagery of authors in literary criticisms. In calligraphic criticisms, we can also find the concept that characters are taken as "traces of brush strokes" 筆跡, which let us perceive the "strength of the brush" 筆力, thus the imagery of brush helps the sight of appreciation shift from works to authors. Considering the history of calligraphic criticisms, firstly people in Southern Dynasties began to replace the merits of calligraphic works upon individual characteristics of authors, for they were not satisfied with observations made exclusively within the works themselves. Also, they requested the source of internal mightiness meant by pi-li 筆力 or pi-shih 筆勢 where the brush contacted with the fingers, while searching the calligraphy by Wang Hsien-chih 王獻之 for its merits different from his father Wang Hsi-chih 王羲之. Furthermore, in order to reconstruct and transmit the authoritative calligraphy by the Wangs, they pursued the essence which must exist inside the strokes of characters, not simply their shapes, which were only husks. As an answer to this request, they finally took the brush as arts of brushwork, and shih as traces of brush movement. Thus pi-shih and pi-li ultimately resulted in the smooth and rapid movement of brush, namely dynamic mightiness. When shih is found in calligraphic secrets 書訣, it is similar to chên 陣, which means battle array, therefore pi-shih in them represents the most effective status of brushwork to draw fine strokes. In calligraphic secrets, the issue of brushwork developed according to the context of military strategy, without passing such processes as above. Thus, pi-shih shows us its thick strata of representation as well as its temporal transition.