Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Calligrapher and Official

Wang Xizhi 王羲之

Wáng Xīzhī

Attested AD 330 - AD 361

Passages: 8
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Wang Xizhi was a Calligrapher and Official.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Yi Shao	逸少	Yìshǎo

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 330 to AD 361 右軍
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 33, passages 155, 160-161

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Wang Yi (王廙)
paternal uncle 叔 · paternal line · Through Father of Wang Xizhi (右軍父)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 33, passage 155
Child of Father of Wang Xizhi (右軍父)
father 父
Strongly inferred · Book of Southern Qi 33, passage 155

Career and standing

Right General 右軍
Held
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 33, passage 155

Places and affiliations

Polity Eastern Jin 東晉 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 33, passage 161

Learning and skills

Skill calligraphy 書 · Level broke with ancient forms
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 33, passages 156-157

Works and attributed material

Memorial · Author
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 33, passage 161
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Zhang Yi (張翼)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 33, passage 161
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Wang Qia (王洽)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 33, passage 156

Events and relationships

At first could not distinguish Zhang Yi's copy of his memorial
Scholarly · Subject · With Zhang Yi (張翼)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 33, passage 161
Relation Rival of · Person Yu Yi (庾翼)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 33, passage 160

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 33Volume 33 Biographies 14: Wang Sengqian, Zhang Xu · 8 passages

王平南廙、右軍叔，過江之前以爲最。 Wang Pingnan Yi, uncle to the Right General, was reckoned the best before the river crossing.

亡曾祖領軍書，右軍云『弟書遂不減吾』。 Of my late great-grandfather the commandant-in-chief's hand, the Right General said, "The younger brother's writing in no way diminishes mine."

變古制，今唯右軍。 He broke with the old forms; today only the Right General has done the same.

庾征西翼書，少時與右軍齊名，右軍後進，庾猶不分，在荊州與都下人書云：『小兒輩賤家雞，皆學逸少書，須吾下，當比之。』 Western campaigning general Yu Yi—in his youth he stood even with the Right General; the Right General later outpaced him, yet Yu would still not yield. From Jingzhou he wrote someone in the capital: "Every wretched barnyard fowl among the young imitates Yi Shao's hand. Wait until I come down—then they may be compared."

張翼，王右軍自書表，晉穆帝令翼寫題後答，右軍當時不別，久後方悟，云『小人幾欲亂真』。 Zhang Yi: when the Right General Wang drafted a memorial himself, Emperor Mu of Jin had Yi copy it and pen the heading on the reply; at the time the Right General could not tell which was which; only much later did he see through it and say, "The little man nearly turned truth upside down."

郗愔章草亞於右軍。 Xi Kai's draft clerical stood beneath the Right General's.

桓玄自謂右軍之流，論者以比孔琳之。 Huan Xuan called himself of the Right General's line; reviewers set him beside Kong Linzhi.

庾昕學右軍，亦欲亂真矣。」 Yu Xin trained on the Right General and likewise came close to passing for the real thing."