The Calligrapher — Mǐ Fú 米芾

Song eccentric genius of dynamic, 'flying' running script.

Song calligrapher (1051–1107), master of running script — Song eccentric genius ('crazy Zhang, idiot Mi') whose running script alternates discipline with glee. Song dynasty

Cultural Story

珍 means precious, a treasure; the 說文 gives '宝也.' The 書經 speaks of 珍禽异兽 offered as tribute, and 詩經 honors 珍膳 (fine food). Jade, pearls, and rare things were 珍, and to 珍惜 was to hold them with reverent care against loss or time.

Common words & phrases

• 珍贵 precious · valuable · rare · costly
• 珍惜 treasure · cherish · value · appreciate
• 珍珠 pearl · pearls · bead · gem
• 珍藏 collect · treasure · hoard · keep
• 珍品 treasure · curio · rare item · gem
• 珍宝 jewel · treasure · gems · valuables

Read the story behind the character

Families 珍惜 (cherish) time with aging parents, and shoppers seek 珍贵 (precious) gifts. A 珍珠 (pearl) glows in a ring, 珍藏 (collected treasures) fill a grandfather's drawer, and 珍品 (rare curios) sell at auction. We call what we love most a 珍宝 (jewel, treasure).

Why this character belongs on skin

Some things are kept in a box and some in the chest. The character pairs jade with a word for the rare and the held — zhēn, the treasure you would cross a province for, the person you would not trade for any other. The poets used it for the beloved, for a moment so fine it had to be cupped in both hands. To wear it is to name what is dearest without saying the name aloud. We lose so much by pretending nothing matters; this is the opposite prayer. Let it rest against your skin like a stone warmed in the palm, a secret you chose to keep. And when you are ready, let the needle press it into ink — precious, and made permanent.