The Development of “Jiugongfa” During the Qing Dynasty

Abstract

  “Jiugongfa”, also known as “Jiugongshi” or “Jiugongge”, is a learning method in which a square is divided into nine grid boxes arranged in three vertical and three horizontal lines, and the grid boxes and boundary lines are used as a guide to grasp the location of the strokes. In China, it continues to be improved and used as a learning method for beginners, with related books still being published. However, in Japan, it is not widely used today, and “Tianzige” and “Mizige” are more commonly observed. Regarding “Jiugongfa”, there are discrepancies in current dictionary commentaries due to differing interpretations of its sources.

  This paper aimed to clarify some aspects of Qing dynasty calligraphy education by using “Jiugongfa” in Qing dynasty calligraphy theory as a starting point. It examined a broad range of related discourses, traced their development, and discussed their relationship to “Linmo,” or calligraphic copying, that provide the background for the discussion, while also discussing the previously mentioned issue.

  As a result, regarding the discussion of “Jiugongfa”, only a limited number of people, such as the Wang Shu and the Jiang Heng families, mentioned it in the early Qing dynasty. However, we found that the publication of Feng Wu's Shufa Zhengzhuan and Ge Shouzhi's Hanqi Shufa Tongjie, collections of writings from the previous era, indirectly stimulated the discussion, and Bao Shichen's new theory led to its widespread dissemination after the Tongji period. Additionally, by focusing on the discourse surrounding Linmo in the Qing dynasty, we highlighted how copying for beginner students was gradually encouraged and led to the introduction of copying into “Jiugongfa”. We also pointed out that the emphasis on the literal representation of shape in the learning process for beginner students was the underlying factor that led to the encouragement of copying and the popularity of “Jiugongfa” in the Qing dynasty.