The Calligrapher — Wáng Xīzhī 王羲之

The 'Sage of Calligraphy'; his running script has set the standard for 1,700 years.

Eastern Jin calligrapher (303–361), master of running script/cursive script/regular script — the Sage of Calligraphy; his Orchid Pavilion Preface is the most celebrated work in the tradition, and nearly every later master traces lineage to his hand. Eastern Jin dynasty

Cultural Story

The character 殷 appears in the 說文解字 as '作樂之盛稱殷' — the fullness of grand music, later extended to abundance and prosperity. It gives its name to the Yin-Shang dynasty (殷商), after King Pan Geng moved the capital to Yin near Anyang. In ritual texts 殷 describes rich, complete sacrifices, and 朱殷 in old prose meant the deep red of clotted blood from battle.

Common words & phrases

• 殷切 earnest · ardent · eager · hopeful
• 殷勤 attentive · courteous · hospitable · diligent
• 殷红 deep red · dark red · crimson · bloody
• 殷实 substantial · well-off · solid · wealthy
• 殷商 Yin-Shang · Shang dynasty · ancient · Yin

Read the story behind the character

Today 殷 still means abundance with a human face. A host shows 殷勤 (attentive, courteous) care to guests, and a parent watches a child with 殷切 (earnest, hopeful) expectation. 殷红 (deep red) describes a sunset or a wound, a 殷实 (substantial, well-off) family keeps a comfortable home, and history class recalls the 殷商 (Yin-Shang) dynasty.

Why this character belongs on skin

Before there was empire, there was 殷, a dynasty so wealthy in bronze and so deep in blood that its name became a word for abundance itself. The character holds the meaning of a color pressed to its fullest, a red so dark it borders on black, the flush of a face given entirely to feeling. To be 殷 is to be full, attentive, leaning toward another with the whole weight of your presence, 殷勤, the careful devotion of one who serves without indifference. The Christians spoke of a love that lays down its life; the Buddhists of a compassion that overflows; 殷 is the Chinese body for both, a warmth that does not hold back. Wear it for the part of you that loves too much to be casual, that brings the whole feast instead of a crumb. Let this ink say: I do nothing by half.