<論説>唐代の書論

Abstract

本稿は、書論史の立場から、唐代における書論の展開を迹づけようとしたものである。初唐には太宗、虞世南、欧陽詢の書論があり、則天武后期には、李嗣真の「書後品」と、孫過庭の「書譜」が書かれ、さらに遅れて張懐瓘の書論が現われた。いずれも六朝期の書論をうけ継ぎながら、書の本質論、表現論、品評論において、より深い省察が加えられているが、今これを全体として眺めると、典型、調和、中庸を尊ぶという方向において、ほぼ軌を一にしており、それは実作の上で、王羲之の尊重、楷書の完成という現象と緊密に対応している。しかし、このような伝統派の書論は、唐の後半期に入ると、専ら繁瑣な技法を説く伝授口訣の類に陥ってしまった。これに対して、開元・天宝期には、もっと自由奔放な情懐を草書に托して表現しようとする狂草が起ってくる。伝統の束縛に抗しながら、酒興に乗じて狂逸な芸術境をきり開いていった狂草家には、変革期を生きた人間の境涯が露呈されている。

This article is to trace the development of calligraphic theories in the T'ang period. From the early T'ang period the theories of yü-shihnan 虞世南, ou-yang-sün 欧陽詢 and T'ai-tsung 太宗 are left, and under the reign of Tsê-t'ien-wu-hou 則天武后 'Shu-hou-p'in' 書後品 and 'Shu-p'u' 書譜 were written by Li-szŭ-chên 李嗣真 and Sun-kuo-ting 孫過庭, respectively. Their theories, being in principle successors to those of the Lu-ch'ao 六朝 period, deepen the latter's vieurs on the calligraphic art : its essence, its expression and its ranking. In general, they share the common tendency to value perfect, harmonious and moderate styles. This tendency in theories is closely related with the historical fact that the style of Wang-i-chih 王羲之 was established as the ideal model and the square style 楷書 achieved its culmination in this period. In the later half of the T'ang period, however. calligraphic theories themselves degenerated into secret teachings which explain complicated techniques of writing. On the contrary, in the K'ai-yüan 開元 and T'ien-pao 天宝 periods, a new school of calligrapers called K'uang-ts'ao-chia 狂草家 emerge, they expressed, in the cursive style 草書, their free thoughts which were formed under the influence of Zen Buddhism. Their art created in intoxication and their resistance against tradition reveal the spirit of Chinese people who were witnessing a period of fundamental change in their history.