The Calligrapher — Lù Jiǎnzhī 陆柬之

Tang calligrapher and nephew of Yu Shinan; his running-script 'Essay on Literature' survives

Tang calligrapher (), master of running script — known for 《文赋》. Tang dynasty

Cultural Story

The Book of Rites, describing a true gentleman's jade, says, 'Strike it, and its note is clear and long, ending in a qu ran, a sudden yielding hush.' The character qu, to bend or to fall silent, measures the moment a resonant thing gives way. In the philosophers it pairs as qu shen, bend and stretch, the breath of a posture or an argument. To qu was to yield with grace, the softening that follows a full and ringing note.

Common words & phrases

• 诎曲 bent · crooked
• 诎伸 bend and stretch
• 诎折 yield · compromise

Read the story behind the character

A calligrapher notes a stroke's qu qu, its bent turn; a taiji master practices qu shen, bending and stretching, with the breath; a negotiator learns qu zhe, to yield, rather than break. The character lives in the body and the compromise, the crooked line, the softened stance. It names the wisdom of not staying rigid, the old lesson that what bends can be used, and what yields may yet return to its full and singing length.