The present article studies the calligraphic activities of Emperor Taizong(599-649,r.626-649),of the Tang dynasty.By examining the emperor's aesthetic taste and relevant implications,it shows the important role that calligraphic culture played in the construction of his forms of government and cultural morphology.Three important factors can be identified.Firstly,the system of calligraphy studies was improved and calligraphy institutions and officials in charge of calligraphic activities were established;the proportion of calligraphy,in the orthography curriculum,in its textbooks and in the examination subjects,was also increased,strengthening the role of calligraphy in the selection and assessment of officials for the administrative apparatus.Secondly,the Palace Treasury was ordered,by imperial command,to collect,appraise and store calligraphic works by the ancient masters;this,on the one hand,enriched the imperial collection during the Zhenguan reign(627-649),symbolizing the government of the empire through civil virtue and,on the other,helped to win over the literati of the Lower Yangtze and Shandong regions and hence to consolidate the political situation of the early Tang.Thirdly,the calligraphic activities promoted by Taizong,such as awarding his own calligraphies and tracing copies from his collection to officials,facilitated interactions between the sovereign and his ministers.Literary compositions,personally written by the emperor and then inscribed by his ministers on stelae,established the model of imperial rulership.The presentation of calligraphies and ink rubbings of stone inscriptions to guests from vassal states aimed to display the cultural depth of the emperor.These are important indicators of Taizong's promotion of cultural virtue over military power and of his emphasis on the enlightening function of imperial governance through the arts.
关键词
唐太宗/文化政策/書畫鑒藏/審美旨趣/禮樂教化
Key words
Emperor Taizong of the Tang/cultural policy/the collection of calligraphies and painting/aesthetic taste/enlightening function of imperial governance
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