Wang Guowei's Collection, Expansion, Textual Research and Application of Epigraphy in Song Dynasty

Collection, dissemination, textual research and application

"Epigraphy" is an ancient knowledge in China. Although "epigraphy", "epigraphy" and "epigraphy" have different meanings in different periods, they always occupy a place in the traditional academic category. Since the pre-Qin period, China has a unique discipline classification and knowledge system different from the modern western academic sub-discipline system, which is mainly concentrated in the "four parts" framework of classics, history, scholars and collections. This "four-part" knowledge system originated in Qin and Han Dynasties, shaped in Sui and Tang Dynasties, perfected in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and finally determined by the classification form of Sikuquanshu Catalogue.

Epigraphy appeared in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and reached its first peak in the Song Dynasty. Epigraphy gradually became a specialized knowledge, reaching its second peak in the period of Ganjia in Qing Dynasty. With the rise of textual research, epigraphy has flourished, and scholars have gained a lot by investigating newly unearthed inscriptions on antiquities.

The introduction of modern western archaeological theories and research methods has had a great influence on traditional epigraphy research. Chinese scholars have found that the traditional epigraphy research has disadvantages in both content and method. For example, the research objects of traditional epigraphy are ancient bronzes and stone carvings, with small scope and few contents. When studying artifacts or stone carvings, we usually only pay attention to artifacts with written content, but seldom pay attention to the shape and ornamentation of artifacts, let alone dating research. Therefore, it is difficult for traditional epigraphy to develop into a complete and systematic discipline system. In addition, many researches on epigraphy are based on documents, relying too much on ancient books and lacking physical evidence, so there are many mistakes. Modern epigraphy scholars began to realize these limitations and tried to study epigraphy with new scientific methods, so that the traditional epigraphy research would develop in a more scientific and systematic direction. Luo Zhenyu and Wang Guowei are among them.

The Framework of Stone Culture in Song Dynasty

After the Revolution of 1911 (19 1 1), the Qing Dynasty disintegrated, and Wang Guowei and his family traveled with Luo Zhenyu. During his stay in Japan, Wang Guowei studied China's ancient characters and artifacts with Luo Zhenyu, and made an in-depth study of epigraphy culture. Wang Guowei said in the article Epigraphy of Song Dynasty: "It has made great efforts in collection, recording, textual research and application, and has become a new kind of knowledge within a hundred years."

The epigraphy culture in Song Dynasty is different from the Confucian classics culture in Han Dynasty and the metaphysics culture in Wei and Jin Dynasties, and has a new framework.

First of all, from the perspective of collection, collecting cultural relics became a social trend at that time. The collection is rich in "accumulated to more than 10,000" and those who are keen on collecting, such as "when the country came to the south, the situation in the country was unclear, and Gao Zong kept collecting antiques". The monarch of a country is obsessed with antiques on the common market, let alone others. Song people have a rich collection, including tiles, wooden slips, gold and stones, "all of which were caught by good ancient scholars at that time."

Secondly, from the perspective of circulation and recording, the contribution of Song people to the development of epigraphy is not only collection, but more importantly, "circulation" through circulation and recording. In this regard, Wang Guowei said: "In this Song Dynasty, there were no fewer than 100 Tibetan artifacts, and only one tenth of the stone carvings were left. The catalogue of Song people was still well preserved, which was indispensable for its spread for thousands of years." At that time, the types of records were basically complete, some only recorded the words on the utensils, and some even drew shapes. "But the rubbings are not widely circulated, so there is a method of publishing wood and stone."

Thirdly, from the perspective of textual research, the Song people made a detailed study of the characters on ancient artifacts, as well as the shape and naming of artifacts. Wang Guowei believes that the Song people not only learned from the past and guided by their ancestors in the textual research of language and writing, but also "Ruan Yuan and Wu Rongguang in modern times have never surpassed them". When it comes to shape and naming, "the study of shape was planted by Song people, and the names of ancient ritual vessels handed down from generation to generation were determined by Song people", "Song people's research on the shape of ancient utensils is far better than that of modern times, just like the research on its atlas is not as good as modern times".

Finally, from the perspective of application, the achievements of Song people in epigraphy can not be underestimated. Many ritual vessels used in suburban temples and ancestral temples in the Song Dynasty were imitated according to ancient artifacts, which made epigraphy culture really serve the social needs at that time.

The epigraphy culture in Song Dynasty was built on these four points, which not only formed a unique cultural framework, but also made great contributions to the traditional culture of China with its great achievements.

The Value of Stone Culture in Song Dynasty

"Since Song Ziren came to power, there has been nothing at home, and the scholar-officials have been able to ask about politics. At that time, philosophy, science, history and art all made great progress. Scholar-officials also have their own qualities, and their interest in appreciation and research are intertwined. This spirit can be found in the works of representatives such as Su Shi, Shen Kuo, Huang Tingjian and Huang. " In Wang Guowei's view, the development of epigraphy culture is closely related to the development of social culture. Only when the society is stable will people have the need for aesthetics and thinking.

Song people discovered the beauty of quality, literature and meaning of stone tablets with aesthetic mentality, and integrated aesthetic pleasure with the research object. Interest in research urges people to deeply analyze and study objects and think rationally. Nostalgia made Song people appreciate the spiritual core of ancient stone carvings at a new height. The idea of seeking novelty made Song people keen to create new knowledge. Wang Guowei compared the culture and times of Song Dynasty with Han and Tang Dynasties, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. He said: "During the Han, Tang, Yuan and Ming Dynasties, people were never interested in ancient artifacts, so the Song people studied epigraphy and calligraphy for hundreds of generations." Compared with the Qing Dynasty, in the Song Dynasty, "although the treasures of various families were not as rich as those of private people today, the number of families was reversed." Chinese civilization has a unique spiritual temperament, and this culture has different verve in different historical periods. Wang Guowei's analysis of the cultural core of epigraphy in Song Dynasty is profound and incisive.

Ancient artifacts will be unearthed in every era, and a large number of ancient artifacts will be rediscovered in the Song Dynasty. Some scholars will collect and study them specially, thus forming a special epigraphy. Wang Guowei commented: "Although epigraphy is the study of the Song Dynasty, it is indispensable." This new school initiated by Song people has outstanding value in the cultural history and academic history of China, and it can be called an immortal monument in the academic history.

Epigraphy declined in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, but revived in the new historical and cultural atmosphere in the prosperous Qing Dynasty. Wang Guowei also compared the revived epigraphy culture in Qing Dynasty with that in Song Dynasty. He said: "The revival of epigraphy in modern times is because both writing and textual research were done by Song people." In addition, Wang Guowei also believes that the Qing Dynasty was inferior to the Song Dynasty in terms of the form and taste of ancient characters and artifacts, but Wang Guowei also talked about the fallacies of epigraphy culture in the Song Dynasty, such as "the names and facts seen in ancient inscriptions mentioned by the Song Dynasty are quite ridiculous."

Wang Guowei lives in an era of extreme political turmoil, but it is also a brand-new and dynamic academic era. Oracle bone inscriptions, wooden slips in the Han and Jin Dynasties, manuscripts of the Thousand Buddha Cave in Dunhuang in the Six Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty, books and archives of the cabinet since the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, etc., are all presented to the world. "The name of the stone is not enough." Epigraphy, which rose in the Song Dynasty, has undergone a new transformation and merged with other disciplines. Wang Guowei's New Proof of Ancient History is a model of this comprehensive application.