The Calligrapher — Zhào Mèngfǔ 赵孟頫

Yuan master whose elegant regular and running script revived classical tradition.

Yuan calligrapher (1254–1322), master of regular script/running script/cursive script — Yuan reviver of classical elegance who could write any script beautifully and did. Yuan dynasty

Cultural Story

篾 is the thin strip split from bamboo — the raw thread of a whole material culture. Skilled 篾匠 split one culm into layers and wove 竹篾 into mats, baskets, blinds and sieves; a fine 篾席 was cool in summer and treasured as dowry. Craft texts ranked the best splits as thin and even as paper.

Common words & phrases

• 竹篾 bamboo strip
• 篾席 bamboo mat
• 篾匠 basket-weaving craftsman

Read the story behind the character

In Sichuan and Zhejiang, 篾匠 workshops still sell hand-woven 篾席 that feel cool against summer sheets, and craft markets offer 竹篾 lamps, bags and tea trays. Yet most mats in shops are machine-made, and young people usually meet the word only when a grandparent complains that the old bamboo mat has worn smooth.