Research On Obaku Zen Calligraphy Style Transmitted To Japan In The Late Ming Dynasty

There are two research categories in Obaku academic circles.In generalized category,Study centered around transmission from mind to mind by Obaku Xi Yun and earlier stage of Linji School;In narrow category,study focus on Monk Yin Yuan Crossed east to Japan to create Obaku School in Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasty,which defines the study category of this paper.Most of researches on Obaku School intensively on fields of Religion,Philosophy and Sociology,research on the art and literature is not abundant,and very little research focus on the Obaku Zen Calligraphy Style,making this paper fill in the blanks.I had collected Obaku Zen calligraphy for many years,and the paper composing was coupled with my hobby of collecting.At the beginning of collecting,I bought lots of books of Obaku School including chronological life of Obaku Yin Yuan and his Ana from Japan.So my cognitive processes become rationality from sensibility,and trying my best to make objective judgement on true and false.The preliminary identification of the work could by the similarity analysis on information of seal,style,ink brushing and forms,which depends on abundant data collection.But a authentic connoisseurship is a comprehensive process needs consciousness of problems and critical thinking,which was the purpose of this paper.I made a Systematic collection of calligraphy works focus on Three Main Characters of Obaku School,including collection institution,private collection and antique catalog involved.There are a grand total of 2841 pieces of works.586 pieces by Yin Yuan,authentic works preliminary judged 369 pieces including clearly dated works 234 pieces and undated works 135 pieces;530 pieces by Mu An,authentic works preliminary judged 404 pieces including clearly dated works 165 pieces and undated works 239 pieces;232pieces by Ji Fei,authentic works preliminary judged 164 pieces including clearly dated works 44 pieces and undated works 120 pieces.All the authentic works preliminary judged are recorded In appendixThe research argued that Yin Yuan,Mu An and Ji Fei were called Three Main Characters of Obaku School,which embodied in gentle and cultivated literati style and integrate harmony of Zen.There are rich of the concrete beauty and the form beauty in aesthetic realm of ink brushing.Yi Yuan Xiang presented the writing pattern of calligraphy style of Obaku School.The Obaku monks,typified by Three Main Characters of Obaku School,are pursuing calligraphy skill matches the way of Zen.From literal Zen to calligraphic Zen,push forward the development of ink brushing.Through calligraphy works of The Obaku monks,calligraphic style of Obaku School crossed east to Japan to making the formation of Tang Style Calligraphy,which influence from The Edo period to Meiji period,and had a profound impact on calligraphic history of Japan.